With Friends Like These
by onbrokenfeet
Summary: A familiar face has appeared in the Candy Kingdom. Will this mean love for a certain princess or doom to them all? This will probably end up having a good bit of chapters and will end up being moved up to M. Enjoy!
1. Intro

A/N : SHUT CHO is the beginning of a story that will probably have many chapters when I have time. It's going to be based around the lovely pairing of Marceline and Bubblegum. o^o Commentary and criticism are welcome here.

It had only started as a midnight scare of Peppermint Butler. He had been up fairly late by his terms. It was only a blink past midnight but he pushed out a yawn as he jumped down from his seat. He must have dozed off in his recliner. It had been a very long day of preparations for Princess Bubblegum's 18th birthday party. It was also a very long day of watching the princess stare out the window nervously.

It had been almost exactly a year since that…that demon had been in the castle. He could remember her face so perfectly. Her dark red eyes made it feel as though he were staring right in to the Nightosphere. The small candy man let out a gulp as he tried to put the thought in the back of his mind as he made his way to his bed chambers.

He was only a few doors away when he heard it. That noise. That terrifying sound. A laugh that he recognized almost immediately. He turned around to see nothing but shadows and little glows of candy torches. Hmph, Sleepy brain is playing tricks on me that's all he thought to himself. Until he heard it again, this time closer. The echo making it all the more chilling.

"Hello?" he called quietly, hoping not to hear an answer. "Hello?" he piped up a little louder. Still only silence called back to him. The sound of the peppermint's footsteps could be heard patting against the ground. He hurried now, trying to get to the safety of his bed chambers. He could see the door now, he was so close. His feet carried him as fast as they could now. Another chill rattled his candy coating as one more laugh could be heard as if it were right behind him.

He was frozen now, right in front of his door. He was scared to move forward but scared to turn back.

"It- It's you" he stuttered, shaking with fear. "V-v-v" he tried to say the word but nothing came out. "M-M-M" he tried for another. Still nothing.

"How'd you guess?" a female voice said, letting out a giggle.

"Y-You need to l-leave" he said, still facing forward.

"Who's going to make me? You?" the voice was loud and demeaning yet still sounded sarcastic and calm.

"Well, n-no!" The peppermint got the courage to yell. "I-I will just call the guards!"

The voice just let out another laugh. "I don't recall the candy kingdom having such a terrible welcoming committee" her tone still acting as if his fear were some sort of joke. To her, it was. "Just chillax, Peppermint, I'm just here to re-visit some old stomping grounds"

The candy man stood shaking until suddenly he felt the top of his head develop a small, painful crack at the very top. He was ready to scream, but not a single sound was made. His vision became blurry then suddenly everything faded to but a giant shadow. He felt nothing.

"Oh he's waking up! Someone call the princess!" yelled a female voice.

The peppermint man's eyes opened and closed slowly. Everything started out as giant white blobs, then slowly came colors, and then outlines. The nurses of the Candy Kingdom infirmary were all staring down at him with worried eyes.

"Peppermint, can you hear me?" Nurse Gumdrop asked.

"Y-yes" he said, his voice weak.

The sun's light seemed to be dumped in to the windows as it spread across every inch of the room. The peppermint was very glad to see that he had escaped the grip that the night time held on him. He also swore to himself to be in bed by 9'o clock.

"Where is he? Is he okay?" he heard a familiar voice call.

"Over here, your majesty. He's going to be fine." Nurse Gumdrop said.

"Peppermint Butler…" the candy princess gasped. "Who did this to you?" she asked both in anger and shock.

"Princess" The butler went to sit up, but a hand of one of the nurses pushed him lightly back down. He was in no condition to be out of bed, not at all. "I must take care of things! I need to tend to the party planning and paperwork." he said, worried.

"No, please. Rest" The princess said softly. "Everything is being taken care of. We are only worried for you and your health" she said.

"It is I that worries for your safety princess" the candy man admitted.

"Who…Who did this to you?" The princess asked again, worried that she knew the answer.

The peppermint man's thin left arm reached up to grab the bandage on his head, slowly unwrapping it and sitting it beside him on the bed. One of his red candy stripes was missing, two little marks in his head showed his injury. The outer shell of him was cracked slightly where he was bitten.

"It was her, princess!" he cried. "She's returned" the candy man was ready to have a fit of fear. "The vampire!"

To be continued.


	2. Perfect Shade of Red

The Princess's party was in 2 days. The candy people had been running like wild beasts all over the kingdom trying to prepare the celebration. Hundreds of balloons, nearly a mile of streamers, the biggest assortment of cakes and sweets! Peppermint Butler was at the head of this army of candy decorators. He was up and running with the rest despite the nurses insisting on him having bed rest.

As this sugar rush swept the city like an ocean, just a splash of it's energy seemed to seep down a staircase. It all trickled and seeped down at the feet of the princess. Though after an entire night of no sleep, her puddle was beginning to run dry.

"Element one seems to combine perfectly with element two. Though element three seems to only be damaging the mixture"

The princess had a large plastic bowl sitting on the table in front of her and a small notepad to the side. She had been scribbling down various mixtures and compounds all day. She was trying to make this perfect. It had to be. She knelt down to open one of the drawers below her. She rummaged around in some glassware before finding two beakers full of strange liquids. One was labeled Ruby and the other labeled Crimson. I haven't used these in so - The princess's thought was interrupted.

"Your majesty!" a voice called, followed by two knocks on the door of her lab. "Your majesty the cook wants your opinion on some of the cakes for your celebration!"

The princess sighed, she had almost dropped her beakers. She sat them down carefully on the table next to the bowl and walked over to the door, she opened it slightly to stick her head out.

"Can it wait just a moment?" The princess asked nervously. She was never one to keep her subjects waiting but this was important. Well, to her it was.

"My apologies, I did not know your majesty was working on something important" the little peppermint almost blushed from embarrassment.

"Why don't you ask Chef Pastry to bring the cake down here?" she asked, turning back to look at her work.

"Splendid! I will do so immediately" the peppermint man said happily, turning to run up the stairs.

Princess Bubblegum closed the wooden door gently and sighed. Her body turned but she didn't take a step towards the table. She just leaned back against the door for a moment. Taking a breath. She had no real plan for what to do if this succeeded. Which was odd because usually the genius always had some sort of plan. She pushed her body away from the door and made her way back to the table. She would have a set plan if one of her variables wasn't always so…unpredictable.

The princess made careful measurements with her instruments. She made sure everything was precise. Every little drop had a purpose. She stared down at the bowl of red she had created and added one last ingredient. Sliced bits of strawberry.

The princess could help but smile at her creation as she stirred it. It was perfect. She sat her spoon down and walked to the other side of the room just as a ding was heard. She opened her small oven to pull out two empty pastries. They too were made through careful and perfect measurements. She pulled them out carefully with her oven mitt on and brought them back to sit next to her bowl of concoction.

The princess let out a yawn and she slowly filled the two pastries with the strange red filling.

"Come in!" The princess called cheerfully as she heard a knock at the door. The chef wheeled in a cart of cakes and sweets ready for her tasting. All of them looked wonderful yet still she only had one thing on her sleep deprived mind. Tonight. Tonight I will see you again. Tonight I face my inner demons.

The day seemed as though it dragged on for a week. Bubblegum had spent the entire day restlessly waiting. She absolutely couldn't sit still yet she couldn't focus on nearly anything. The princess sat now in her bed chambers, staring at her open window as she had been for an hour since the sun went down. The sill of her window had become a pedestal for the pastries she had so perfectly made. She had kept them safe all day as though they were her own children.

Her eyes seemed to be pulling tides with the moon as she stared full of hope off in to the night. It was still early…Maybe she was busy! Maybe she was off on an adventure. Maybe she was with a lover. The last thought made the princess cringe.

"Where are you?" she spoke gently in to the silence of the night. She finally looked away from the window, her head hung low, staring in to her own lap.

Bubblegum was suddenly greeted by the sound of wings flapping against the chilled winds of the eve. A little bat had flown in to her window and rested on the sill.

"You!" was all she managed to say as she jumped from her bed and ran over to the sill. "It's you!" she said picking up the fuzzy little creature and petting it on the head. "Why aren't you speaking?" she asked, poking it's stomach. The bat only made a little screeching noise and tried to escape her grasp.

"Probably because he's a bat" a voice said from below. "I thought you were supposed to be a genius"

Princess Bubblegum's face was void of color as she let the animal go. A tall dark figure floated up to be at her level. Her hair was darker than the sky, it seemed to float on it's own, dancing with the wind. Bubblegum found the idea of making words completely impossible. Fear took over her body, keeping her captive.

"I thought -" Bubblegum started. "Yeah, yeah. I get it." the figure said, folding her arms at her chest. "I just-" Bubblegum was again interrupted. "Relax, sweet cheeks. I'm not going to eat you." the figure suddenly showed a wide shining grin. "I know I-" the princess looked down. "What you did to peppermint butler was unforgivable" she said, irritation obvious in her tone.

The figure's head tilted back to let out a laugh. "You lured me here with sweets so you could give me a lecture? That sucks" a playful hiss flowed with her s sounds. The princess still looked down, her fists balled. "Well, go on. Punish me. Do your worst, princess" the figure was more taunting than ever as if she were thriving on the princess's insecurities and fear.

"Stop it!" she finally countered. "I'm not scared of you anymore!" she yelled. The figure's face dropped from a smile to a straight face. Red eyes slightly widened with shock. "So, then. Not-scared-y cat. Why am I here then? You want an apology or something?"

The princess thought on her next words before she spoke. "I just want peace" she said "and safety for my subjects." The candy princess looked up at the figure with worried pink eyes. It was as if they pleaded. "I spent exactly 29 hours, 9 minutes, and 2 seconds making these for you" she said. "They're the perfect shade of red" she said smiling. Those pink eyes still pleaded no matter which way her lips curled.

The figure floated closer and reached for one of the pastries. Her fangs came down like daggers, chomping right in to suck the red filling from the center. It was sugary, sweet, yet with a little tang. There was crimson in this definitely. She remembers.

"What's this bizz about safety?" the figure asked, still not commenting on the pastry in her hand.

"You know what I mean! You stormed in the castle last year on my birthday and ruined everything!" the candy princess yelled, stomping her left foot forward, her fists clenching tighter.

"Oh that" the figure was still calm. "I don't seem to remember hurting any body or crashing any parties, so I don't see the big deal"

"You…what?" the princess stared in confusion as the other stared down at her, not amused in the slightest. "You still invaded the castle" the princess added, but most of her rage had seemed to fly off in to the night without saying goodbye.

"Yeah and I fought off a witch who probably would have killed you all anyway" the figure said, now taking her own bit of annoyance. "Not everything is about you, princess"

"That witch" the candy princess suddenly remembered the green skinned woman who was at her party. She wore a lot of dark purple and black clothing, she carried a large bag with her. Some said that they had seen her trying to make strange deals for their souls and other precious things. "I remember her…"

"Yeah, so I think it's you that owes me an apology" the shadow said.

"That still doesn't explain why you came and hurt peppermint butler!"

"I was just having a midnight snack. I always hide out in the castle corridors when I'm bored" the figure still seemed to have a lack in caring for anything the princess said.

"My subjects are not snacks!"

"Did he die?" the figure asked.

"Well…no"

"Was he seriously injured?"

"No…"

"Then I don't see the problem, princess"

"I suppose…I do owe you an apology" the princess let out a sigh. "I apologize for falsely accusing you of things you were not guilty of" the princess said.

"Yeah yeah. Thanks for the pastry, I gotta run. There's a frost troll hunt going on tonight and I'm supposed to lead the boys in to battle" the shadow floated slightly higher as if she were going to leave.

"Wait!" the princess called. "What?" the shadow called back. "Come to my birthday celebration. It's in two days." the princess said, the figure floated upside down to peak her head in the window, her hair almost hanging down to the floor.

"Why would I want to do that?" the figure asked.

"Please?" was all the princess managed to say.

"Fine"

With that last word the figure was gone, off in to the night. The princess couldn't even tell which direction she had gone in to. The princess left the other pastry on the sill, in case the woman decided to come back during the night. She then walked over to plop on her back on her bed, her tiara falling off of her head. She lay in silent thought. I was scared of her for so long, ever since we were children. Last year I only caught a glimpse of her before she ran off. We've both grown up so much. She's…beautiful. The princess thought for a moment on those last two words. She's beautiful.

Her unusual skin color would turn most away but it fascinated the princess. The pale gray seemed to almost glow under the moon light. Her dark hair was as untamed as a pack of whywolves running through the forests. Her eyes seemed as though she could run straight through them and keep on running until the end of time and yet she still wouldn't reach the end. The red of them seemed like an eerie pool of blood that she could see her reflection in and be both terrified yet feel so safe.

It had always been that way when they were young. The princess and the vampire. Though of course, 900-something seemed a little old to be considered young. The vampire still looked like a child when the princess met her. That's when a new thought finally processed for the princess.

The princess whispered her new found realization in to the loneliness of her room. "She grew up with me"

To be continued.


	3. When You Were Young

Princess Bubblegum had finished her paperwork earlier than usual and her 2 o'clock meeting with the King of the Goblin kingdom had been postponed to a later date due to a large mountain troll destroying half of their castle.

"Please send one of my runners with condolences to the Goblin Kingdom" the princess said, her tone was very fitting for her job.

"Of course, Princess" Peppermint Butler said. "You may take a couple hours of rest and recreation, madam. That should conclude most of your business for the day."

"Thank you" she said, a smile on her face. The princess had not had time off in quite a long while. She was happy to have it yet she let out a sigh, looking at Peppermint Butler's still healing wounds.

"Are you well, your majesty?" the candy man asked.

"Would you come with me?" she asked, standing from her desk and heading towards the doors of her study.

"Of course!" the peppermint scurried to be right behind his princess and followed her all the way to her room. When they arrived, the princess shut the door behind them and locked it. The expression on her face was that of someone who just lost a loved one. The expression on his face was one of concern and fear.

"P-Princess?" he stuttered, wondering what could be wrong.

The princess walked over to her window, where just that morning she found the perfectly red pastry drained of it's insides. She was happy that her visitor enjoyed the sweets. The pink eyes gazed out the window at the falling rain. It was dark and cloudy, everything just sort of turned gray. These were her favorite days…She thought to herself.

"Peppermint" she said as the butler stood straight, acting as though he were a soldier given an order. "You have been my most trusted servant since I was a little girl" she said, still focused on the rain. "And I consider you to be a very close friend" she added.

The peppermint's white stripes started to turn pink. "Why, Thank you, your majesty" he said, still so uncertain. What was his princess going to say?

"I need to tell you a story" she said, she cracked the window slightly, letting a trickle of rain come through the crack. She then turned away and sat on her bed, gesturing the butler to sit with her.

"Madam?"

"When I was a young girl, I had an imaginary friend" she started but paused, a sudden flow of memories drowning her brain in nostalgia. "Her name was Marceline." The butler let out a little gasp, but the princess gestured for him to be quiet and so he obeyed.

"I was only 8 years old when I thought I dreamed of her. There was a big ball here in the castle that my father held. Many lords, ladies, kings, queens, and other important figures were here. They danced and mingled and shared drinks. It was a wonderful evening. Though I was too young to fully enjoy the festivities, so it's mostly a blur to me. I was introduced to a lot of young princes that were to be possible husbands when I became 18 but none of them even seemed like someone I could talk to. I shied away behind my mother and father for the most part."

The princess took a small breath as the peppermint looked up at her, wanting to hear more.

"There was a man there who seemed to be dressed for business. He had a black suit on and he looked strange to me. Even more strange than a goblin and a lot more strange than a human. His name was Hudson Abadeer." When the princess mentioned that name, Peppermint Butler nearly shattered from fright. "He was actually quite polite despite his reputation. My father greeted him happily even though most of the guests were ready to run in fear. As I clung to my dad's leg, I noticed someone else was clinging to Hudson's. That's when I was introduced to her.

'Hudson!' my dad said proudly, his voice boomed.

'King Mark' Hudson said back.

'How many times do I have to tell you to call me Mark?'

'Well, Mark, I heard that your princess was having trouble talking to the boys so I brought my own little girl to help her along' is what he said, I believe.

That's when Marceline crept out from behind him, at that time, she looked the same exact age as me. I had no clue that she was nearly a thousand years old. I was also too young to understand that my father and Hudson were far from friends. For a smart girl, I was still a childish sort of naive. Marceline walked over to me and stuck her tongue out at me. It was far from a proper greeting but I still accepted it.

'I'm Princess Bubblegum' I said, I think I even curtsied.

'I'm Marceline Queen of all the vampires'

I didn't believe her at all. That someone so young could be a ruler of anything. There was something strange about her though. Something that made me feel right down in my heart guts that we were supposed to be friends. As soon as I felt it, I grabbed her hand and we ran through the crowds of people and up to my room. It was weird at first, but then we started to talk. She told me about music and I told her about science. Then she told me about whywolves and I told her about literature. Eventually we just swapped information and stories until Hudson came to take Marceline home.

It was after she left that I was scolded." The princess stared at her feet and tried not to cry.

"I remember this, your majesty." he said. Peppermint dug in to his mind to remember when he had just started to tend to the princess, he was standing right behind King Mark when it happened.

"Bonnibel!" he yelled, his booming voice now a lot more scary than welcoming. "You should have been down here talking to princes, attending to your royal duties to socialize with other royals! You should not have been off playing games with that…that thing!"

"She's not a thing, she's my friend!" the little princess yelled back. The king couldn't stand for that answer.

"Your friend! You-" the king paused when he felt a hand on his bicep.

"Let me take care of this, honey" a sweet voice said.

"Fine" the king said as he walked off, mumbling and grumbling.

"Come here sweetheart" the queen called to her now crying daughter. The queen swept the little gum girl up in to her arms and carried her to her room. "You know he only means well" she reassured.

"But Marceline is my friend!" she said, tears still rolling down her face.

"I know, darling. Your father and just have a lot of…issues" the queen couldn't think of a better word to say to the little girl.

"They seemed awfully friendly to each other!" the princess argued as her mother laid her down on her bed.

"I know, they do that for business. It's good for both your father and 's images." the queen explained. " is from the Night-O-Sphere, a scary place that he rules over, where all the demons live" she went on. "Marceline is also not as she seems"

The girl took a moment to take in all the information. "She's good though, I can tell!" The queen only smiled at her daughter. "I know she is, but your father doesn't."

"How come nobody can tell him?" the princess asked, innocent little eyes staring up from a finally dry face. "It's just not something you can tell someone, it's shown through heroic acts and good deeds" she explained.

"Marceline has done lots and lots of good deeds" the princess said. "I would bet!"

The queen let out a small laugh, smiling at how loving and trusting her little girl had become.

"Get some rest now, my little princess" the queen said, kissing her daughter on the forehead.

"Okay" the princess said, still very unsatisfied with her answers.

The princess and peppermint butler sat on the edge of the same bed, both of their minds now drowning in the same memory. Their moments of silence seemed like only seconds before the princess opened her mouth to speak again.

"The next week, on that Friday, at exactly midnight, there was a tap on my window. I hesitantly sat my books down and scooted over as the tapping got louder. When I opened my window, Marceline was there. I was scared at first, after everything my mother and father had said. But I still trusted her. I invited her in and it was much like the night we shared before. Stories and games and laughter. I didn't ask about the Night-O-Sphere or the things she had done in her life. I just talked to her. When a couple of hours had passed, she suddenly had to go. But we met that way every Friday night until I was ten years old. Father had come in to check on me and I was sitting on the floor having a tea party with Marceline. He was absolutely furious.

'Get out of here, you demon!' he yelled as he ran towards her with his large battle hammer unsheathed but in the blink of an eye she was gone. Invisible. My father sheathed his hammer and I just stared at him with a terrified expression. He leaned down to my crying eyes and asked me what was wrong. I asked him why he scared my friend away. He asked what friend I was talking about. He said no one was in the room with me when he walked in."

"Oh princess…" Peppermint Butler's mouth managed to speak before he realized. He covered his mouth but she only looked at him with her sweet eyes. "He-" he paused and she nodded, letting him know he could speak. "He told you she wasn't real?" he asked.

"Yes. My only friend and he convinced me she wasn't real. I always left my window open and waited up for her every Friday, but she never came back. Then later that year, mother and father, mother and father they"

"I know princess, I know" Peppermint said, patting the girl on the back as a few tears rolled from her cheeks. When she was ten, she lost her parents, he knew that much. He didn't know a friend also left her.

"I was laying on my bed crying my eyes out, just sobbing in to my pillow. That's when a familiar knock happened on the window and when I let her in that time. She just wrapped her arms tightly around me. She hugged me with all her might. She had heard about my parents and came to check on me. She later explained that she didn't want me in trouble, and that's why I hadn't seen her in the last few months." Bubblegum dried her eyes and let up a smile. "She never cared whether or not she was in trouble, but I think she knew it really mattered to me to not be in trouble"

"I told them" Bubblegum said. "I knew she was good, I knew that she was good and that she was kind and a valiant hero" the princess said happily. The peppermint almost had to dry his own eyes of minty little tears. "She had brought me a present. Something from one of her adventures. It was a flame crystal all the way from the fire kingdom. It was the deepest red I had ever seen, and when you look in to it, you can see a small flame always burning inside" she said.

The princess leaned over the side of her bed to grab a shoe box from under the bed. She opened the lid to show off a lot of precious treasures from all over Ooo, even some things that could only be found in Aaa. The peppermint's eyes widened as he stared down at the wonders, many of them he and the other candy people had never seen before. The princess slid the lid back on the box and shoved it back under her bed.

"For the next two years, she brought me everything you can imagine. One every week and it came with a story too. I heard about her running with wolves, from which she brought me a claw that can cut through diamonds. I heard about her trip across the lake of undead whale creatures from which she brought me back some of Neptune's beard hair. I'm still unsure of it's properties." the princess paused. "Needless to say, for two years she was my best friend in all of Ooo. Sometimes she even came over 2 or 3 times a week. I learned soon that she was what people called a vampire. She even took me out once on a flight. Sometimes I'd pretend she was my pet bat. We had so much fun together, no matter what she was." she said.

"What happened then?" the peppermint was growing more interested in the story, as were a few of the other servants that had crowded around her door to eavesdrop.

"One night I had decided it was about time to ask Marceline about who she was" she said. "For so long I had even questioned whether or not she was real" she was fighting tears again. "She was upset with me, which was justified. She shape-shifted to show me her usual form. The one that you know and I now know. I punched her in the arm. I was so hurt, I felt lied to and deceived." she took another moment to hold in her tears. "I told her I never wanted to see her again" she said.

Peppermint couldn't help but scoot over and hug the princess as the crowd around her door began to sob.

"I believe my exact words were 'Leave now, nightmare. I un-imagine you!'" the princess said. "I think I hurt her very badly with those words. I didn't see her again up until-"

"One year ago" the butler suddenly realized why the woman must have been here last year.

"She must have come to see me…then again she was sent away. All that time I did miss her. I even still leave my window open for her" the princess sighed. "The night I told her to leave, she tried to explain what the great mushroom war was like for her. How she was alone, but I just kept shouting. I had no clue why she would try to use that as an excuse. I see it now though, after all this time of wondering. All this time of thinking she was going to come back and kill me." she explained. "This is why I'm telling you all of this" she said. "I don't want anyone to be afraid of her anymore" she said.

"T-Tell me princess" the peppermint said, his arm still wrapped around her.

"She was a lonely little girl back then. She had no one to talk to but herself. So when she heard of me…when she knew how I was. She came to be my knight in shining armor. She knew what it was like to be a lonely little girl and she came to take care of me" Bubblegum could not stop her tears now. "She changed herself so that I would have someone to be my friend. She brought me all those gifts and stories so that I would know she was real." she was bursting with tears now. "I threw her away and never apologized!" she shouted.

After her last words, there was a silence. The girl didn't speak and neither did her butler. They just sat in an awkward mutual moment of silence. The princess calmed herself to not completely lose her royal stature. Oh to glob with stature. The princess hid her face in her hands and started sobbing. The candy man was ready to comfort her when suddenly the window creaked open wider. The princess did not flinch at the sound, but the peppermint stared in awe as a tall, soaking wet creature floated in to the room.

The woman gestured for the peppermint to leave and so he did, he scurried out the door and the princess finally looked up.

"Marceline?"


	4. One Last Time

If there are a few things that you need to know about Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum, it is these few I'm about to tell you, my reader. One is that she always puts her people first, she has always cared for them above herself. Another is that she is gentle and kind but she can be stubborn and sometimes even cruel when she isn't thinking clearly. The last is that she is extremely smart, a genius if you will, but she is far from wise at times.

If there are a few things that you need to know about Queen Marceline Abadeer, it is these. One, she is brave, more brave than any human or demon or any being in all of Ooo. Sometimes she is extremely cruel, a vicious killer, the centuries she's spent on this earth have made her cold blooded. The last is that while she is tough all the way through, she is known by a certain little human as just a radical dame who likes to play games. What Marceline the queen of all the vampires and lady of evil would never want you to know is that she is in fact kind and once in a blue moon, very gentle.

Why do I tell you all of these facts, my dear, reader? To lead up to the biggest fact about our princess and our queen. Through all these years and all this time, Bubblegum has never apologized to Marceline for anything. Well, she has, but they have always been formal and never straight from her heart guts. Meanwhile, the lady of evil and all that is wrong in the world, has always, always, come back to apologize to a certain little candy princess.

I tell you this because tonight these tables turn.

"Marceline?" The princess's face showed clear shock. She just stared as Marceline dropped a backpack on the ground and her axe bass which hit the floor with a loud clunk. She snapped her fingers and the window behind her closed, the howling winds now only obedient little dogs. The vampire said no words, she just shook her hair out, spraying rain all over the place. It left her with sort of a poof on the top of her head. The princess normally would have giggled, but this was no time for laughter.

"Marceline…" the princess said again. She couldn't see the vampires face, it was covered by both her hair and the shadows. The princess was ready to bust with anticipation. She just wanted her to say something, anything. Just any little word to let her know that all was right.

Marceline still said nothing as she kicked off her boots and sat them next to her bag. She then pulled something out of her bag and walked over towards the princess. She handed the small object to her. It looked some-what like a black teddy bear. It was all hand sewn patch work. Marceline then plopped down beside her on the bed, laying down so that her lower legs still hung over the edge.

"What is-"

"His name is Jam. He's made from 6 different types of pelts and things from all over Ooo. I made him for you" Marceline said.

Bubblegum's fingers lightly ran over the bear and her tears came back. This time they were those of joy. Only a few, but still they were there. Six. Five for each birthday that Marceline wasn't here, and one for this year. Bubblegum reached her hand up to cover her mouth. She couldn't believe that after everything, Marceline would do something like this.

"Why?" Bonnibel managed to say. "Why did you do this?" she turned just barely so she could see Marceline's face. She was half asleep.

"It's your birthday tomorrow isn't it? Don't people usually get presents on their birthdays?"

"Yes…but usually not one that is so unique" Bonnibel said.

"Well geez. If you don't like it, I'll go give it to someone else." Marceline was ready to sit up and leave but found herself unable to move.

Bonnibel had turned her body completely around to where she was now laying next to Marceline, her arms wrapped around her. She held her tightly, burying her face in the girl's neck. Marceline only smiled and wrapped her own arms lightly around the girl.

"You know your dress is going to be soaked" Marceline said.

"I-I don't care" Bonnibel only buried herself deeper in to the embrace with the other, still clutching Jam tightly in her hand.

For nearly 10 minutes they lay like this until Bonnibel realized that Marceline's grip had loosened. She had fallen asleep. The princess carefully stood up from the bed and Marceline's body quickly went to hovering above it, fast asleep. Bonnibel smiled up at her imaginary friend.

"Sleep tight" she whispered. She then sneaked off carefully to get dressed and left the room. She had placed Jam on her vanity so that he could watch over the vampire as she slept.

"Peppermint!" Bonnibel called, making her way down the grand staircase and weaving through nearly a dozen little candy people with their hands full of party decorations. "Peppermint!" she called again.

"I'm sorry your majesty!" the little man came running. "I'm so sorry, I did not hear your first call. As you can see it's very-" Peppermint was interrupted. "It's fine, Peppermint" the princess said with a light laughter. "How was your…meeting with you know who" he whispered the last part.

"My friend is asleep upstairs. When she awakens make sure that any servants with free hands take good care of her." the princess ordered.

"Of course, your majesty" Peppermint said, he was still full of doubts when it came to the demon…ehem. Vampire. Though after hearing Bubblegum's story, he thought maybe she could be just the one to help him with a certain problem.

"I must tend to some business with party planning now, if that is all my lady needs" Peppermint said nervously.

"Of course Peppermint" she said, taking her leave to check on some things of her own.

Peppermint had made this walk from the grand hall to the princess's room many times. More than he could count. This was the only time he was truly nervous. Sure there were some mornings where he wanted to let her sleep in or when he had bad news. This time though, he was actually scared. She won't hurt you. She won't hurt you. He just kept repeating it in his mind. She won't hurt you!

Peppermint knocked twice before opening the door to the princess's room. His eyes were closed tight and his body was shaking. He then slowly opened one eye to see an empty room. The axe bass, boots, and backpack still sat on the floor but he saw no vampire.

"H-Hello?" he called. "Miss…Miss Vampire!" he called again, stepping slowly in to the room.

"Glob, can't a girl sleep in this place?" he heard a voice say, he almost jumped right out of his adorable little suit.

"I'm s-sorry" he said.

"Why have you come to bug me?" the voice asked as a furry little bat pulled itself out from under Bubblegum's bed. The bat then quickly turned in to Marceline.

"I need your help, madam" he said.

"Oh yeah? Why should I help you?" she asked.

"B-because you'd be helping the princess, I believe" he said.

"I'm listening" Marceline said, sitting on the bed and gesturing for him to at least come closer. The candy butler closed the door and walked to stand right in front of the vampire.

"Do you know what happens when Princess Bubblegum turns 18?" he asked.

"No…Does she turn in to a vicious dimple plant monster?" she joked.

"This is serious!" he managed to snap. "When the princess turns 18 she is available for marriage. This means that tomorrow the castle will be full of princes ready to ask for her hand." the butler explained.

"Why is this a problem?" Marceline asked, feeling something odd in her guts.

"I fear that maybe the princess will choose to marry someone that she doesn't want to" Peppermint said.

"Why would she do that?" Marceline was still trying to put a finger on this odd feeling in her guts.

"She may feel obligated. Her royal duties are of course the utmost thing that her and I should care about. I have always encouraged her to put the kingdom first but this time" he paused. "This time I can not condone it"

"Really? The walking peppermint finally decides that the princess's feelings mattered." Marceline teased him.

"Listen here you demon!" he yelled. "I have watched over the princess for years. I've known her longer than you have as a matter of fact. I have wanted nothing but the princess's happiness. I know now that if she marries a single boy that comes through that door tomorrow she will only be miserable for the rest of her life."

Marceline stared in awe for a moment, that was the first time any of these pieces of candy had actually stood up to her. She also thought hard about the princess's happiness. That's what she was feeling, worry. Concern.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"That story she told. You are the only person to set foot in this castle other than her parents and I that she has closely cared for. I expect that you care for her as well. I need you to make sure she doesn't make a terrible mistake. Unlike you, the rest of us only have a short time to make mistakes and right choices in their lives. I don't want the princess to have to live her entire life knowing she doesn't love the person she's with. Please, miss vampire. Stay by her side tomorrow, watch over her, scare some of the boys off, I don't care how you do it. Just do the princess a favor and take care of her one last time" The peppermint had never given a speech before, but he hoped and prayed this one was good enough.

—

The princess had spent the entire day tasting cakes and choosing colors and being rushed in each direction and up several flights of stairs and then back down them again. It was tough being a birthday girl. She collapsed in to her bed and stared at the boots and bag sitting on the floor. I wonder where she ran off to…I didn't see her after…

"Oh!" she popped herself back out of bed and grabbed Jam from her vanity. "Can't forget you" she whispered, bringing the bear back to bed with her. She managed to create the perfect little cocoon for herself and the little stuffed toy. She wrapped her arms tightly around it. In a weird way, she wanted to pretend it was Marceline.

"I'm sorry Marceline" she said softly. Hoping that by some magic Marceline could hear her. "I'm really, down in my heart guts, sorry"

"Awh, how sweet" a voice said.

Bubblegum's eyes shot wide open. She couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from.

"Who's there!" she called, trying to pretend she wasn't terrified of whoever was in her room.

"Your favorite nightmare, babe" the voice said as a cloaked figure slid out from the shadows.

"Who are you?" she asked, but as she went to move, she found herself paralyzed.

"I already told you. See, Peppermint-boy wants to make sure that you don't marry some psycho so I said to myself. You know I'm a pretty cool dude, I'll take the princess" the figure drifted closer and closer.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed. This sound was enough to send Peppermint Butler running through the corridors towards the princess, calling for Marceline the entire way, hoping she would follow.

"Is that any way to treat your future husband?" the figure was at her bedside now, it leaned down to take the bear from her hands. He tore each of it's limbs off one by one.

"Stop it!" she yelled. "Stop!"

He dropped the ripped pile of fluff on to the ground. "Come on, bride to be. I need my new babe back home to take care of me" he said.

He put his arms under the princess and picked her up. She wanted to kick and punch but still she found herself paralyzed.

"You like my spells?" he asked, he had one foot on the window sill ready to depart when he heard the door open and two gasps.

"Put. Her. Down." Marceline said, her eyes ready to turn in to little balls of flame.

"Nope!" he yelled and suddenly his cloak shrouded both him and the princess. They were completely invisible.

"Marceline! Marceline I'm sorry!" the princess managed to yell just before the figure took off in to the night.

Marceline tried to chase after them, but she had no idea which direction the figure had gone in.

Just like that, the princess was gone.


	5. Night O Woah!

The council had been yelling at each other all morning. All that could be heard from outside was a jumbled mass of noise, as if someone had unleashed a pride of caged lions in to the meeting room.

"She has obviously just run off! We just need to put someone else on the throne!" Duke Icington yelled.

"No! The butler said she was kidnapped. We must send out the guards!" yelled Lady Honeydew.

"How do we know the butler isn't just covering for her?" yelled General Tart. "We can not send out all the guards and leave the kingdom unguarded!"

"She must be found! What if she's injured or lost?" Lady Honeydew countered.

"Leave her to die then. This kingdom can run itself without her! We are the mighty candy council and don't you forget it!" General Tart pounded his fist on the table as little specks of spit flew out from under his large mustache.

Everyone sat with their jaws ajar, staring at him in awe. Leave the princess to die? Even Duke Icington thought that was cruel.

"As much as it aches me to say it" Duke Icington broke the momentary silence, deciding that siding with a nut-job was bad for his image. "Maybe the princess should be searched for"

These statements of course caused a whole new onslaught of rage and yelling from the candy council. Meanwhile the princess's most humble and loyal servants sat in their own meeting, along with some of the princess's close friends. They sat in Peppermint Butler's living quarters and spoke lightly.

"Oh my glob! Oh my lumping glob!" LSP yelled, waving her hands to cool down her face. "Why aren't any of you doing anything?" she yelled. "All these drama bombs, they're just like falling from the sky and lumping ruining everything!"

"We can not find her on our own" Nurse Sherbet said.

"Maybe we can ask for help" one of the maids said.

"Finn and Jake are helping us!" another chimed in.

"We beat the Ice King up at least four times, and he said he didn't know what the blob was going on" Finn said, his head hung low. Disappointed that he hadn't found the princess.

"Maybe the runners can head to the other kingdoms in search of help!" Candy Cane waiter said.

"We can not let the other kingdoms know what trouble we're in. The whole city could be taken over" Nurse Sherbet explained, seemingly the most level-headed of everyone.

"Oh my glob! Come on you lumping servants do something!" LSP yelled.

Jake piped up to translate for Lady Rainicorn. "Lady says that maybe we should just look for her, y'know. Like try or something."

"Yeah! If we find him, me and Jake can toast his buns!" Finn said, giving his brother a high five.

Everyone had started to lighten up at that moment, a few of them even smiling. Everyone carried on as friends, coming up with various teams, who to search where. Where to look, what to do if they found her. These were the tame animals, joining together for a peaceful tea party to discuss the matters at hand.

However, at tea parties, there is always an extra seat. No matter how many times you move down and get a clean cup. The Hatter is always ready with a riddle. The Dormouse always ready with a sleepy story or song.

Down the hall, a patient Peppermint Butler had left the hall of justice that they had created and knocked on the door of Princess Bubblegum's bedroom. It had been locked all morning. A certain vampire hiding herself inside. Peppermint tried one last time to knock and finally the door opened. The queen floated before him, an absolute wreck. She held an almost sewn back together Jam in her hands. He was only missing one arm now.

Peppermint didn't say a word to her, only stared up at her obvious rage. A sea inside Marceline was swirling. As though a powerful storm brewed in her mind, smashing many ships against jagged rocks. Slowly with each wreck her sanity drowned. It didn't even try to fight the currents, she just let it fall pray to the waves. She had just watched as her own mind was torn apart under the pressure of the sea.

"I know where she is" Marceline said.

Peppermint Butler gestured for her to follow and she nodded, still holding Jam in her hands. She floated behind him as he ran back to his chambers, the doors swung open with great force. Everyone in the room stared at the pair, The Hatter and her Dormouse. They sat waiting for their words.

"I know where Bonnibel is" Marceline repeated.

Some of the candy people stood and cheered, Finn and Jake sharing a fist bump. Though a couple of servants stared at her, waiting for more. Knowing that was the good news, and the bad was not far behind.

"She's in the Night-O-Sphere" she announced nonchalantly.

All of the cheers turned to awkward stares. Everyone looked to Marceline now. Even LSP was speechless.

"I'm going to look for her" Marceline said. Peppermint Butler now joined in the stare. Was she really going to do such a thing?

"We'll totally come and help!" Finn said, much to Jake's disliking.

"No, Finn. I'm going to look for her." she said again. It was obvious that something wasn't quite right about Marceline. Everyone was just afraid to ask.

"Well, alright. If that's what you want." Finn said quietly, trying not to get screamed at.

Marceline leaned down to Peppermint Butler, just barely whispering in his ear. "One last time."

Marceline stood back up and looked to her right at an empty patch of wall. She lifted her hand and suddenly a large swirling vortex appeared. She walked over to where she was almost inside, still holding on to Jam.

"If I'm not back in 3 days" she said. "We're dead." Leave it to Marceline to make such a chilling remark. No one could tell if she was joking. They only stared as she stepped in to her portal and suddenly she and it were gone. Not a single soul made a sound, not even the crickets let out a chirp.

—

Ahh the wonderful smell of the air. Brimstone and blood. Just how she liked it. The rocks beneath her feet were at a balmy 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The sky was a beautiful burning crimson and tangerine. Every single demon was out and terrorizing with their whole families. It was just as Marceline knew it to be. A perfect day in the Night-O-Sphere. However she had no time to enjoy it.

Mortals had a way of not lasting long in the realm of demons. While the princess was tough, she wouldn't be able to handle it down here. Marceline had to find her fast. She floated down to where all the lesser demons seemed to be jumping about. Stupid little bugs. She picked one up by the back of it's neck.

"Pink girl, pretty dress. Have you seen her?" Marceline's tone was demanding.

"Y-Your majesty Marceline! What a pleasant surprise!" the demon said, a nervous smile. His skin was red, his insides were red. He was a snack to her and he knew it.

"I don't give a flying fart! Tell me where she is!" Marceline yelled, her face shape shifting in to a terrifying half-demon half-bat creature. The lesser demon squirmed.

"I don't know! He just came and went! I didn't see, he didn't say!" the demon yelled. Marceline was ready to sink her teeth in to him but instead flicked him off in to the distance. Her head down-graded to it's normal form.

"Any of you other little worms want a piece of this?" Marceline yelled. All of the other demons simultaneously shook their heads and Marceline let out a scream.

Like some sort of ghost, she weaved herself in and out of the Night-O-Sphere for what seemed like hours. She tried her best to avoid her father's spies and guards. She strayed from his statues and buildings. She had been down here for so long without a lead. The Hatter's mind grew weaker and weaker. Her storm raged on stronger and stronger. That's when she saw two little demons in fancy looking attire.

"Hey you!" Marceline yelled, flying at the demons at full speed. They tried to run but she picked both of them up, holding them both by the back's of their little suits.

"Where do you bozos think you're going?" she yelled.

"T-To a wedding?" they were both shaking under the fury of the vampire queen. "We're just a little late…" one said.

"Whose wedding?" Marceline demanded. Her eyes were swirling red and yellow, her face ready to shift again.

"A-Ash!" they yelled together. "Ash and some mortal!"

Marceline threw them down with a splat, both of them's skulls instantly crushing against the ground. She probably should have asked where the wedding was. She headed down the path that they were on. Her mind's storm was now throwing lightning in to the mix. Guilt crashing down in to the unforgiving waves. She couldn't help but feel this was her fault. She let this thought plague her mind the entire half an hour she was on her way down the path. She saw the wedding up ahead and knew just what to do.

"Does anyone have any object-" the demon minister's sentence was cut off, so was his head. The legendary ax bass was swung with all of the vampire's might. One clean swing decapitating him.

"I do!" Marceline yelled. Princess Bubblegum stared up with a look of both anger and hope. Was she saved? Or only in more danger?

"Ash you fucking psycho!" Marceline yelled, taking a large wolf form and dropping both Jam and her bass.

"Woah! Mar-Mar. Calm down!" he yelled up to her. "Look. I didn't have you around so I figured, hey a hot mess of princess would be cool." he even looked nervous. Marceline's now-wolf-like mouth was foaming. "I just thought I needed a new babe, that's all, we can be cool right?" he asked.

"Cool! Cool! You want me to be cool?" Marceline was ready to tear him to shreds. What he had already done to Hambo was bad enough. Kidnapping a princess. The only flobbing princess she cared about! The only flobbing person she cared about! That was too far, shit, that was too far past too far.

"I'm gonna!" Marceline's threat was cut off. Her large beastly form snarled as she was touched. She looked down to see those eyes. Those eyes that she had grown to know so well over the years. Those eyes that had probably never seen violence or gore that was more than a paper cut. Suddenly Marceline's non-beating heart dropped. Her form slowly withdrew in to her vampire-self. Her arms wrapped around the princess and hugged her tightly.

I remember what my mother said now more than ever.

"Uhm. You're ruining my wedding. I need to get back home for din-din with my new bri-" Ash didn't get to finish. A glare from Marceline over the shoulder of Bonnibel was all it took to see him back up and turn away. Marceline's entire weight seemed to almost collapse on to the princess. She hadn't slept or eaten in almost 24 hours. She was ready to cave after her adventures. Though still, she broke her embrace with the princess to grab her ax and the princess picked up Jam.

"You fixed him" she said softly, smiling at the other.

"Happy Birthday, Bonnibel" Marceline said softly, almost drained now with the loss of her adrenaline.

It was something shown through heroic acts and good deeds.

Marceline returned a small smile and grabbed back on to the girl. Slowly they floated straight up, a vortex appearing in the roof of the cavern. Marceline floated her straight through it and straight up through the floor of Peppermint Butler's room. She let go of the girl and collapsed down to her knees.

Bubblegum sank down to the vampire's level as she slowly faded in and out of consciousness. The vampire leaned in to the princess. Her world was quiet. Her world was faint splotches of reality that coexisted in this all white world she was in. On the outside everyone was running and screaming. There was a whole swirl of people wreaking a peaceful sort of havoc with the return of their princess. To Marceline though, it was only her and the princess. It was only her with her head buried in the princess's shoulder. It was only her and now, her dreams. The Hatter and Alice.

You were wrong father, if only you could see her now.

She's my friend and my knight.

She is no demon. She's my hero.

To be continued.


	6. Vinyl Kisses

There was a clash of colors in the great hall. It was as though a tie-dye war was being fought to the rhythm of an orchestra. Everyone was dancing and laughing and it was all a beautiful site for sore eyes. Though it did not give much relief for an aching mind.

This was another party for Finn and Jake, this time they were both to be royally knighted. The princess did not mind, of course not. It was both her royal duty and they had become good friends in the couple of years she had known them. Hell, in the last couple days she learned that by some odd fate, they had even met Marceline previously. Something about a stolen tree house, she didn't fully pay attention to the story.

The princess smiled among the guests, held polite conversation, even joined Finn in a dance! Her mind was just elsewhere. It had been one week since Marceline had saved her from the Night-O-Sphere. For the rest of the Candy Kingdom everything went back to normal. The princess went back to work, the council went back to being crabby old coots, and everything was normal again.

Bonnibel couldn't fight this urge in her stomach that something was wrong with this. That 'That demon should not be here!' and 'Princesses simply go missing all the time, we can't reward just one act of good' could be said about her vampire queen, among other things. Did my mind just assume possession over Marceline? The princess had to wonder what her mind was trying to say. Though, she liked the sound of it. My Marceline, My Marceline.

"Hey PB!" she heard her name called and quickly smiled at Finn.

"Oh, hello Finn!" she replied, her mind still easing out of her deep thinking.

"Rad party! These edible balloon animals are tasty!" he said happily.

"Finn…those aren't snacks. They're citizens." PB said nervously.

"Oh." Finn stared awkwardly for a moment. "Well, I'm gonna go hang out with the giant gummy bear. He's got these magic talking peanuts that tell the best jokes. You ever heard the one about-"

Bubblegum's eyes were suddenly drawn to the staircase as a mop of black hair could be seen peaking out from behind the wall. She's awake!

"Yeah that's a good one Finn" PB said, still nervous, still distracted. "I've gotta go tend to some royal stuff. You know princess things." she said, immediately walking away.

"Oh alright…" Finn stared confused as the princess attempted to make her way through the crowd. "Bye, I guess"

—-

Marceline had snapped her fingers to make the hall a little darker. It seemed to even out the rainbow puke happening downstairs.

"Finn knocks out one little dragon and he's suddenly man of the friggin' year. I save the princess from certain doom and all I get is a thank you" Marceline ranted to herself. "Just because her people don't like me, it doesn't mean she has to act like I don't exist when that little brat comes around!" Marceline punched the wall next to her, making a small growling noise. "I've been here for 3 days! I've been sleeping under her bed like some sort of monster! I've been watching over her since like forever! But no, all I get is thank you!" Marceline was ready to punch another wall when she felt a presence behind her.

"What do you want?" Marceline hissed.

"Woah, Woah. You disappear for three days, and your brother isn't allowed to check up on you? Come on Marcy, I thought you were more polite than that"

"As you can see I'm doing just lumping fine!" Marceline yelled.

"Keep it down, you want your darling girlfriend to hear you acting like that?"

Marceline's cheeks turned a dark shade of red as soon as he said the word girlfriend. This was both from embarrassment and overwhelming rage.

"Shut up! She's not my girlfriend!"

"But you do like her…" he stuck his tongue out at her. "…And she likes you…"

"I do no-!" Marceline cut off the last part of her sentence. "You think so?"

"Haha! I knew it. You so dig the princess. Oh man this is too good" her brother just laughed.

"I'm gonna kill you, Marshall!" Marceline yelled, and lunged at him. Though just before she could reach him, he disappeared. All that was left of him was what seemed like a far off echo.

"Marceline and Bubblegum sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"I'm so gonna kill him one of these fucking days" Marceline mumbled.

"Kill who?" a sweet voice said behind her.

Marceline's body quickly swerved around to see Bubblegum just coming up from the stairs.

"Oh…Just Ash. Y'know for what he did and stuff" Marceline's face was now just a flickering pink.

"Marceline, there is no need to kill anyone. I'm fine! See?" Bubblegum's tone was slightly weak.

"No I don't see. What's up Bonny?" Marceline asked, floating in front of the princess.

"Will you come with me?" she asked. It was obvious that she was upset.

"Sure" Marceline said. She floated quietly behind the princess as she led her down a corridor Marceline had never seen before. She was curious as to how she missed it on her late night adventures.

Before she knew it they had reached a large pink door. Bubblegum took a pink key from around her neck and unlocked the golden lock on the door. She slowly pushed open the door to reveal a very very large room. Marceline stared in awe. How does one hide something like this?

"I received this as a gift from my father when I turned seven years old, it was just before I had met you. It's like my favorite place on the planet." Bubblegum explained.

Marceline stared at book case after bookcase. It was a large white room with pink and blue finishes. There was a spiral stare case that led to a platform that held even more bookshelves.

"Why are you showing me this?" Marceline asked. It was neat and all, but books and reading weren't really her thing.

"This is not what I wanted to show you" Bubblegum said.

"Oh…yeah. I knew that." Marceline was slightly nervous. She'd never been led to something so private before. Well…unless you count certain endeavors between the sheets…but after a few hundred years they don't mean as much.

Bubblegum waved for the vampire to follow and she obeyed, right up the spiral staircase. Marceline floated in silence as Bubblegum brought her to a book case that was slightly thicker than the others and covered in a large white tarp. There was a pretty pink desk next to it with a white box on it that had a pretty pink bow on it.

"Uhm, princess?"

"I didn't fully get to thank you for not only saving my life but for returning to be my friend. Your couple of days spent here in the castle, while upsetting to most, have been very enjoyable to me." Bubblegum didn't make eye contact with Marceline. She was trying to avoid blushing. She was quite nervous that what she had to give her wasn't enough to repay her.

"Thanks, I guess" Marceline said, now regretting everything she had said about not getting a thank you.

Bubblegum gestured for Marceline to open the box and cautiously she floated over. She opened the pink ribbon first, slowly tugging at it. She then tore the white paper apart like a child on Christmas. She found a brown box inside the paper. She stared over at Bonnibel.

"Go on" Bubblegum said, a smile on her face.

Marceline opened the box to find something that hadn't existed since before she was born.

"H-How did you?"

"I found an old book on them here in my library the day after you saved me. Once I figured out the mechanics of it and how it decodes it's format of disk, it was relatively easy to assemble" Bubblegum explained. Marceline almost understood that one.

She picked her present up out of the box and sat it on the desk. She ran her fingers over the finely polished red woods.

"Peppermint Butler made sure to clean it up nicely for you. I think he scrubbed it for nearly an hour before he let anyone touch it." Bubblegum let out a small laugh but Marceline only stared.

"Does it…Does it work?" she asked.

"Oh! Yes of course. I almost forgot the other half of your present." She smiled nervously and carefully removed the white fabric from the large bookcase. Marceline's eyes widened as she stared. She was now overwhelmed with one single feeling. Not rage nor sadness. Not jealousy nor anger. It was happiness.

"How did you find all of these?" Marceline asked, still in awe.

"Oh, various places. Some of them were my father's. Some were my mother's. A lot of my servants pitched in as well. They wanted to thank you."

Marceline's red, fire-like eyes, they couldn't contain it any longer. Tears came leaking down the vampire's face. She couldn't believe this. Right in front of her, a record player and a collection of vinyls.

"Marceline…Are you okay?" Bubblegum's face showed clear concern. "I'm sorry, I know how much you like music, so I just thought-"

Before Bubblegum could finish her thought or even move, Marceline was hugging her as tight as she could, without suffocating her, anyway.

"Thank you" Marceline whispered. "Thank you so much"

Bubblegum's smile turned wide as she hugged the vampire back. It was a moment of joy for both of them. Both of their worries and problems seemed to just float off. Marceline broke the hug to grab a record from the shelf. She looked through various ones, quickly.

"Oh, man. These were some wild dudes." she said about one. "Oh no way! I heard about these guys. Their concerts were known to be the loudest, craziest parties on the friggin' planet!" Marceline went on and on. Every album she picked up, she showed to PB and told her a different fact about each one and PB listened to every single word. This went on for almost an hour, Marceline had shuffled through about half of the records and Bubblegum just sat and listened. They were sitting on the floor now, a pile of 'totally butt-kickingly awesome' records sitting next to Marceline.

"Nevermind!" Marceline all of a sudden yelled.

"What?" Bubblegum was thoroughly confused.

"Nevermind! It's an album, silly" she said, the biggest, toothiest, most childish grin on her face.

"Oh, of course" Bubblegum said, returning a smile.

"Oh man, this is legendary stuff! These guys created a whole new realm with their sound" she explained.

Marceline turned to put the album on the record player, setting it so she could hear a certain song. She then turned the record player on and gestured for Bubblegum to stand, which she did. Marceline slowly stepped closer, she moved Bubblegum's hands so that they were around her neck. She placed her own around the girl's waist. Suddenly they were floating just above the ground.

"M-Marceline" Bubblegum stuttered nervously. She wasn't quite sure what was happening. Were they dancing?

"Just listen, princess" she said.

The princess nodded as she watched Marceline close her eyes. Suddenly they were swaying together, caught in the sound. Bubblegum felt as though gently, the guitar had wrapped it's strings around her and bonded her to Marceline. She closed her own eyes and leaned in closer to the other. Their bodies were pressed together closely, but their arms were lose around each other.

Marceline gripped the girl just a tad bit tighter as they floated higher. They floated all around the library, over all the bookcases, in and around all the literature. Romeo and Juliet stared in jealousy from the row of Shakespearmint plays as they swayed through sound.

"Bonnibel" Marceline said softly as they drifted, her eyes still closed.

"Hm?" was her only answer, her eyebrows raising attentively, but her eyes staying closed.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked. "Your favorite place in the world" her tone still soft, lulling.

"I needed someone to share it with." Marceline cracked a small smile at her answer. "Why did you start dancing with me?" Bubblegum asked, her tone just as soft as the others, but much more sweet.

"The music." Marceline said. "I needed someone to share it with."

Bubblegum floated with her for a moment in silence. There was a certain ecstasy in the air. As they held each other close and felt the comfort of each other's arms. They felt the warmth of what it was like to hold someone you care about. One felt her heart flutter at the feeling of being held by someone she always needed. The other heard her mind screaming right in to her pointy little ears that she indeed, very muchly, had feelings for a certain little pink princess.

Both of them were disappointed when the music stopped. Marceline lowered them down to where they were standing before though she didn't let go. She opened her eyes slowly to smile down at Bonnibel who stare back up at her with those same bright pink eyes. They looked almost sad.

"You have a party to get back to, don't you?" Marceline asked, her smile fading.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I wish I could stay with you" Bubblegum said. The word forever almost ended that sentence.

"It's okay, Bonnibel. I've got a bunch of old dusty vinyls to gawk over" both girls laughed.

"Oh" Bonnibel reached her hand in her pocket and pulled something out. She placed it carefully in to Marceline's hand. "This one is yours" she said. "This place is ours now" she said softly.

Marceline looked down in her hand to find a little black key on a string, just like the one Bonnibel used to open the door.

Marceline went to thank her but before she could, Bonnibel had pushed herself up slightly with her toes to give her a light peck on the cheek. Marceline's face turned instant-tomato.

"I'll see you later tonight!" Bonnibel said happily. She had started to walk swiftly back to the party but her hand was suddenly grabbed. She turned around to look at Marceline, whose smirk had returned. She pulled the princess back in to their tight embrace and laid a passionate, warm, kiss right on the princess's lips.

"That is how you really kiss someone goodbye, princess" she whispered, letting go of the now blushing princess.

The princess just stuck her tongue out at her vampire and turned to run back to her party and subjects. The princess went running down all the corridors and suddenly she saw a little white and red striped friend.

"Peppermint!" She yelled happily.

"Oh princess I was just looking for you" the peppermint said. He completely wasn't expecting to be picked up and spun around.

"Oh Peppermint! It was wonderful! It was absolutely wonderful!" she yelled with excitement.

"What was your majesty?" Peppermint tried to show enthusiasm as he was sat down with his head still spinning.

"My first kiss Peppermint!" she yelled. "It was so wonderful" she said happily.

Normally Peppermint would yell at her for not keeping her princess manners in line. But just this once, he decided to cut some slack.

"Oh princess, that is so good to hear"

As the two chatted and made their way back to the party, a very happy vampire sat among a world of vinyl, smiling and singing songs. All dedicated to a girl named Bonnibel.

To be continued.


	7. Jellyfish

Strawberry jam, Peanut butter, Bread. Strawberries, Apples, Watermelon slices. Apple pie.

_It's simple but I think she'll like it_. It was almost sunset which for most people was an extremely strange time to plan a picnic but when you're going on your first date with the queen of the vampires, it's incredibly normal.

She rumagged through different shelves of the fridge. Fruit Punch. That completed her list of things to pack. She had pleanty of delicious things that she could eat and that Marceline could sink her teeth in to. It was almost like the tea parties they had when Bubblegum was a child, except now the food wasn't plastic. She placed everything carefully in the basket and took it up to her bedroom.

"Oh...What should I wear? Casual...Definitely casual. Marceline is always casual. But she's Marceline! You're the princess! Oh glob..." Bubblegum let out a groan.

Her heart was buzzing with joy over the thought of a date with her vampire. However her mind had been in a large knot ever since Marceline asked her for a date. She was so worried, she'd never been on a date before, not a real one. She was nervous, what if she messed something up? After all that first kiss was so...Marceline is so...

"_Perfect_" Bubblegum let out a little sigh of joy as a little bit of red tip-toed on to her face. She couldn't think about that kiss without blushing. Oh! Focus!

She opened her closet and started sifting through outfits carefully. Then after about 4 or 5 minutes of trying, she just started throwing clothes everywhere. Dresses, shirts, pants, everything was just thrown behind her. No no no! None of them seemed to work. She didn't have much more time before Marceline would be there.

She took a deep breath and grabbed one of her casual sun-dresses. This will have to do. It was of course a slightly dark shade of pink. She then put on a pair of shorts to go on underneath. She knew that not wearing anything would be un-lady-like. She then slid on a pair of light pink boots. She stared at herself in the mirror. I think this is okay...Oh Glob why am I so nervous?

Her spine straightened as her ribs expanded slowly. A sharp inhale as her eyes widened. She felt as though a tree were being softly blown towards her. Its branches making their way around her waist.

"I'd tap that" a voice said softly in to her ear. Oh, Marceline. You and your reflection.

"Oh hey, Marceline" Bonnibel said nervously, completely ignoring her statement. She reached a hand up to touch the vampire's cheek. Marceline's head rested on Bonnibel's shoulder, her arms squeezing her tightly.

"Hello Bonny. You look nice" Marceline said, looking in the mirror.

"I would say the same, but..." Bubblegum stared in the mirror to see herself standing alone. So, Marceline sank out of her grip with Bonnibel. Her toes pressed against the ground lightly and she floated in front of her date, grinning.

Marceline was wearing a red flannel, she had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She had a black tank-top on underneath. Her jeans were a faded black, holes in the knees. Her hair was in a pony-tail but her bangs still hung around her face.

"I'm not exactly prince charming but close enough" Marceline joked and Bubblegum giggled.

"You look handsome, as always, Marceline" Bubblegum said, giggling more.

"Gee, thanks" Marceline said, her famous sarcasm being showcased.

"You know how I meant it" Bubblegum said.

"I know, I know" Marceline stuck her tongue out. "So where are we going on this date thing?" she asked.

"I thought you had somewhere in mind" Bubblegum said curiously. Marceline only stare down at her blankly. "You are the one who asked me to go on a date with you" she added.

"Yeah but...You suggested the picnic"

"I suppose" Bubblegum said. She walked over to her bed and started rearranging sheets and blankets and pillows.

"Uhm princess" Marceline stared. "What are you doing?"

"No one knows about this date, I'm sneaking out" Bubblegum said, adding the final touches to her bed-work. "I'm doing an old trick I learned when I was a girl. You move the pillows to make it look like you're still sleeping here, even though you aren't!"

"And that actually works?" Marceline asked, her mind only stuck on the 'No one knows' part of her words.

"Yes, if you do it correctly and turn all the lights out" Bubblegum said. When she was finished, she picked the picnic basket up off the nightstand and turned back to smile at Marceline. Though she worried about the look on her date's face.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah..." Marceline said. 'No one knows'. "I'm fine" she said, perking up a little smile.

"Where should we go?" Bubblegum asked, not wanting to poke at whatever it was.

"I know a pretty chill spot" Marceline said.

After much convincing, Bubblegum allowed Marceline to wrap her arms around her waist and fly her to this so-called pretty chill spot. She held the basket tightly in her hands and tried not to look down. She had her eyes forced shut for the entire flight. Meanwhile Marceline just enjoyed the wind in her hair and tried to forget that she was someone's secret.

"You can open your eyes now" Marceline said as she gently placed Bubblegum on the ground. The princess opened one eye just a tiny bit and once sure she was safe opened both. They were on a hill top that sat among many tall hills. Grass just seemed to rise and fall all throughout the land around them. It's sometimes beautiful how far away from the rest of the world one can feel.

"This place is magnificent" Bubblegum said, staring in awe. "Look at all of those constellations"

She stared at the sky with her mouth wide open. She just watched as the stars twinkled and shined. They made their way through the darkness of night as if there were no perils awaiting in the shadows. They each looked down on them, oh the things they'd have seen if they were alive. The things the stars could say if only they were given just one breath.

"I'm glad you like it, princess" Marceline said. Bubblegum turned to face her and smiled. She opened the large basket to pull out a very neatly folded blanket which she spread out on the ground almost completely wrinkle free. She then sat down and Marceline sat down with her.

"Not floating tonight?" Bubblegum asked curiously, taking some things out of the basket.

"Nope" Marceline said with a smile.

Bubblegum emptied out the basket and Marceline's face showed definite approval of all of her choices.

"I tried to choose as much red as possible..." Bubblegum said.

"You did good princess" Marceline said, leaning over to give her date a kiss on the cheek.

The lovebirds ate cheerfully together as they looked to the stars. They of course had an argument or two, many conversations, many distasteful jokes from a certain vampire, and a few astronomy facts from a certain science genius. They also may have had one or two wonderfully perfect kisses.

Marceline stared curiously as Bubblegum scooted closer to her. She snuggled up next to Marceline, resting her head on her shoulder and looping both her arms around her. She soon buried her head in the other's neck. Marceline smiled and looped her own arm around Bonnibel, holding her closer.

"Did I tell you what makes this place rad?" Marceline asked, her voice quiet and soft.

"No" Bubblegum answered, her breath slightly tickling Marceline's neck.

"Look" she said, pointing with her free hand.

Bubblegum only turned her head slightly, not wanting to lose her comfort at the side of the vampire. Though her eyes widened quickly as she stare at what was right before her. They seemed to rise from the hills. A swarm of flourescent gigantic jellyfish. They defied all the rules of scienced that could possibly be broken.

"What are they?"

"Jellyfish, duh"

"How are they..."

"Oh shut up, and enjoy the view."

Bubblegum sat up straight and stared as the sky filled with plasma-style colors. It was as if someone had taken her on a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom again. They had to be at least 5 or 6 times the size of a human, some of them even bigger! Some of them changed colors, some of them were spotted, some had stripes. All of them fled in to the sky as if they were just kites making their way in to the clouds, letting the wind carry them.

Marceline's arm slid out from around Bubblegum and sank down to intertwine her fingers in the other's. Both of them staring at the jellyfish swarm. One little jellyfish rose up right in front of them, he was about the size of a human hand. It swam forward and zapped Marceline right on the nose. Bubblegum couldn't contain her laughter and so she almost had to run from her rage.

Instead, she was just playfully tackled. She found herself giggling on the ground as Marceline was over top of her. The vampire held herself up with her hands on both sides of Bubblegum's head. Her legs straddled over the pink girl's hips. Both of them stared in to each other's eyes and blushed as soon as they realized the situation they were in.

"So" Marceline grinned. "How do you like this..." she leaned in a little closer. "_Spot_"

"Oh shut up, Jellyfish" Bubblegum laughed. She knew the best way to frustrate the vampire queen was to pretend she was immune to her "charms".

"Jellyfish? Did you call me a jellyfish?" Marceline asked, confused and yes, slightly frustrated.

"Well" Bubblegum started. "I was thinking earlier and if I'm PB...then you have to be"

"Jelly" Marceline and Bubblegum stared at each other for a moment quietly until Marceline started laughing.

"Awh man, how did you come up with something so cheesy, Bonny?" Marceline asked.

"I thought it was cute!" Bubblegum said, a slight frown tipping her lips downwards.

"It is cute, Bonny. Of course it's cute." Marceline lowered herself slightly and gave Bonnibell a kiss on the forehead. "_You're_ cute."

Bubblegum was at the end of her rope and the blush was innevitable. Her face turned a simply delicious shade of red. Marceline smiled.

"So. You'll...You'll be okay with me calling you that?" Bubblegum tried to keep herself together.

"Mhmmm" Marceline agreed. _PB, Jellyfish, and Jam_. _It __**is **__sort of cute_.

"Okay, Jellyfish" Bubblegum giggled.

Marceline slowly drifted further in to the gaze of the girl that was underneath her. She had momentarily forgotten how they were. Her body slowly lowered, cursed black lips ever-so-warmly pressed against pretty pink lips. They stayed in this embrace, lip-locked, for as long as they possibly could.

Under a sky of plasma color, under the adventurous stars, under the smiling moon. Two lovers lay in the soft grass, sharing a moment that would not be forgotten. Not for a very long time.

Especially by those in little blue suits, who had noticed a certain pink princess, had not been in bed. Especially by those who were out searching for her. Especially by those blamed...for kidnapping her.

_**To be continued.**_


	8. Death in Her Room

A/N : Thanks for all the support so far ladies and gentleman 3 You're all great. Don't forget to leave comments and junk and let me know what kind of stuff you wanna see!

Marceline let out a long yawn and rubbed her eyes. She slowly egged herself to get up, rolling over out of her brick of a bed and floated for a moment, stretching her limbs. She then realized what was missing. She checked under the bed, in the bathroom, in the closet, she heard no noise. Then it drifted, it drifted right passed her. That smell. She hadn't smelled it in quite a while. She decided to follow her nose and it led her down stairs.

"Good morning" a sweet voice said.

"Good…morning" she responded.

Her morning mind was still leaving her a bit spacey, she let out another yawn. Her hair was an absolute mess, something she wasn't used to waking up to. Usually she floated high above the hair-tangling pillows.

"I can't believe you're still here" she said.

"Of course I'm still here, I wouldn't just run out."

"Yeah but don't you have a kingdom to tend to or some junk?" She asked.

"Well if you would prefer that I had left…"

"That's not what I'm saying." she said, floating closer. "I'm…glad your here" she struggled with her worlds. Though her arms looped themselves around the other girl, squeezing her tightly from behind as she cooked.

"Thank you for the clothing by the way and letting me stay after our date" Bubblegum said, proceeding to cook. "I'll give the clothes back before I leave"

"Keep the shirt" Marceline said, placing a kiss on her love's neck. "Something to remember me by"

Bubblegum blushed and smiled sweetly. Marcy buried her face in to the soft burrow that was Bonnibel's neck. The princess was cooking one of her favorites, crepes with strawberries. The vampire placed another soft kiss on her neck

They had no clue, that one of them was in danger. They had no idea that one of them was viewed as a criminal. What's the use in being a powerful ruler when you can't do what you want? What's the use in power when you're trapped like a bird without a song to sing? What's the use in a door if no one is going to knock.

"Phew. I hope it's alright if we crash on your couch tonight, Marcy. My last scheme went a little askew and now most of Aaa is looking for me." A blue skinned woman said, laughing. She was carrying a penguin under her arm as though it were only cardboard.

The woman then turned to see our darling couple staring confused. She stare back, just as confused. The vampire let go of the princess and floated over closer to their guest.

"What am I interrupting?" the woman got a large smile on her face. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Marceline! Is that the girl everyone is looking for? Are you a kidnapper now too? Oh joy! Twinsies!"

Marceline's eyes widened and somehow her gray skin became even more pale. She hadn't even been thinking that people would come looking for Bubblegum. Stupid tired brain.

"People are looking for her?" Marceline scratched her head.

"Everyone was so up in arms about a princess, I thought they were looking for my damn brother" she laughed, her smile never leaving. "So who is your victim, Marcy? Don't be impolite"

"This is…" Marceline looked back to Bubblegum.

"I'm Bonnibel Bubblegum" she said, bowing. "Princess of the Candy Kingdom."

"I'm the Ice Queen, darling. This is Gunther." Ice Queen said, her sharp teeth glistening. "Are you related to my darling Gumball?"

"He's a distant cousin of mine actually." Bubblegum said with a smile. "We write each other and see each other once or twice a year" she added. "The Ice King is your brother?"

"Yes, my little brother can be such a bother. How many times has he tried to kidnap that sweet little ass of yours?" Ice Queen taunted.

"That sweet little ass is mine!" Marceline snapped. "And she has to get dressed!"

"Oh Marceline, you know I'm only teasing. Geez, you're so defensive." The Ice Queen rolled her eyes.

"I'm afraid I will have to be going home" Bubblegum said, giving Marceline a kiss on the cheek. Her face was covered in red, her mind full of worry. Her people were looking for her, and she should leave. Yet she didn't want to…and who was this Ice Queen? Why would she come here…so impolite to just come in without knocking…Bubblegum's mind lingered on these thoughts as she made her way upstairs to change in Marceline's bathroom.

"I'm in deep crud if those candy people show up here" Marceline grumbled.

"What? Just bite them or something. Aren't you supposed to be the ferocious vampire queen?"

"I can't hurt any of them, Bonny would never forgive me" she said.

"Mortals and their grudges" The Ice Queen shook her head. "I suppose you're keeping this one?"

"Yes! Forever" Marceline said quietly, the word full of uncertainty.

"Mortals don't live forever, darling" she said. "You need you get yourself a girl that will last as long as you do" she added. "Remember the fun we used to have?"

"You-" Marceline was about to start screaming but before she could there was a knock on the door. Ice Queen immediately grabbed Gunther and ran in the living room and hid behind the wall, peeking out from behind it and waving for Marceline to answer it. The vampire rolled her eyes and floated over to the door, opening it to see familiar faces standing in front of her. The Ice Queen heard a few exchanged sentences and then suddenly, it seemed as though Marceline fell. She just crashed right to the ground.

The Ice Queen ran over to the vampire queen, her body limp on the ground. A large purple and red sword had been plunged right in to her body.

"Haha! Yeah! We slayed the vampire!" the boy in front of her said happily, high five-ing the little mutt standing next to him.

"We saved the princess, brother!" the dog responded, both of them doing a happy dance.

"What's going on down here? I heard a bunch of-" Bubblegum took a moment to comprehend the scene in front of her. "Marceline!"

To be continued.


	9. Telescope

A/N : Still proof reading this one so sorry for derps. But I got my writer's groove back! Hopefully this one will be a big improvement compared to the last two. ;~; Ennnnjooooy!

When she was just a girl, Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum had an imaginary friend. Her friend came and had tea parties with her, told her stories, brought her magnificent gifts. They stayed up very late, which was apparently early for a vampire. In this room, in the castle, there was a whole new realm. There were no rules, or bed times, and since she thought that vampires were not real, fiction became fact.

Little Bonnibel Bubblegum shared something very important with her friend when she had appeared after the death of the king and queen. Bonnibel grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the window.

"Look!" Bubblegum said.

"Yeah…What about it?"

"Look through it, silly!"

Little Marceline leaned over cautiously and looked through the piece of glass in front of her. The telescope was too flashy in her opinion, but it seemed to make the princess happy. Through it she saw two very specific stars. She then looked back up to a smiling Bubblegum.

"It's them" she said happily.

"It's who?"

"They say that when we die, we become the stars. While we leave our bodies here to be claimed by the earth, our souls climb their way through the sky and sit in the heavens" she said.

Marceline stared at her in disbelief. Bonnibel Bubblegum, while still young, was a girl of logic and science. She knew very well that stars were but balls of gas and energy. She knew very well what her telescope was showing her. Marceline knew that in order to believe what she had just said, Bubblegum was doing worse than she thought. So Marceline tip-toed on this fragile ice, trying to reach the other side.

"Do you think when we die, we'll be up there too?" she asked, not sure at all what to say.

"Of course" Little Bubblegum said, she took the hand of her friend. "Our stars can be next to each other. That way we'll never be alone. As long as I'm around, you'll never be alone" Bubblegum's smile was wide now as she gazed in to Marceline's eyes. Those big pink eyes were filled with sincerity. They were also holding on to all the sadness, all the heartache, they tried so hard to hide. Marceline returned the smile and held on tight to the princess's hand.

"Alright princess. I believe you."

—-

A set of very worried pink eyes sat staring out the clear window in to the swirling gray clouds of the night sky. The moon was full and bright. Those eyes just watched the clouds float and dance, as if the earth below played a soft melody. Yet in these haunted halls, all was silent. Not a single word was said, only soft breaths were taken in fear that a precious barrier would be broken.

For once, the castle had found true peace. Only now, it was in both guilt and fear.

Bubblegum felt herself shiver as a cold grip was formed on her shoulder. Her pink eyes still facing forward out the window.

"You should rest, darling" Ice Queen said softly. "She's not going anywhere" she carefully attempted a joke.

"I can not rest" Bubblegum replied, her tone cold and nearly harsh. "She needs me."

"Your nurses have been tending to her non-stop for three days, you have been sitting in this chair, for three days. I think you have all deserved some rest." The Ice Queen said.

"I promised her that she'd never have to be alone" Bubblegum said softly, her harsh tone now turned to weak words. A throat holding back screams, eyes holding back tears, a mind holding everything together. "I told her she'd never have to be alone, but then I told her never to return. I even said I hated her. I didn't mean to say that!" she yelled. The echo of her rage was only followed by the silence of the tension.

"Harsh, but we all do things we don't mean to do. Accidents happen." she said.

"Princesses don't make mistakes. Princesses are supposed to be perfect and well composed. I'm supposed to take care of people, not hurt them." Bubblegum's precious pink face was now coated with a light stream of pink.

"Everyone makes mistakes. You know I once kidnapped the prince of the Nature Kingdom. Well, I thought I did. Turns out I just stole a bush. It was from the royal gardens…so I still counted it as a victory" The Ice Queen reminisced for a moment.

"This is different. Finn and Jake made a grave error due to my actions. She's going to die and it's all my fault."

"Oh sweetie. It's much more than you losing your lover, you know that right?" The Ice Queen said.

"What…What do you mean?"

—-

The next morning, a roar echoed through the halls. All of the corridors and halls were filled with noise, yet there was no one. No one in their rooms, no one in the halls, no one in the kitchen nor the dining room. There was no one to hear these roars and cries except for those in the Great Hall.

Half of the room was filled with those who said they should finish off the vampire, the other half was filled with those who wanted to help save her. A war brewed inside the great hall as a mob was ready to bust down the infirmary doors and kill Marceline as she slept.

"I say we go in there and allow our heroes to decapitate the creature! What if it tries to kill us all?" yelled General Tart.

The entire council stood in front of the horde of animals, yelling over their rabble.

"She has a name! She is a hero of this kingdom and we must help her!" yelled Madam Marmalade.

"Where is the princess? She should not take an absence at this time!" yelled Lord Lemondrop.

The Ice Queen floated slowly up in front of everyone. She floated right in front of the council. The bags under her eyes told the tale of her long evening at the bed side of the vampire queen.

"Everyone!" she yelled. "Listen!" she added. With the second word the yells dropped only to words and soon those were lost among silence.

"Your princess is finally asleep! After days of cleaning up after your mess, she has finally rested alongside the vampire queen. So please shut your damn mouths!" she yelled, she then pulled out a smile. "Thank you." She then took a seat on the grand staircase, watching the excitement unfold.

Everyone's rabble immediately began again, yelling from all corners of the room.

"She's sleeping with it?"

"She has betrayed us!"

The cries of anger seemed to call out endlessly from the sea of rage. Everyone continued on as the Ice Queen just rolled her eyes at the hopeless noise.

"Everyone…" stuttered a small voice. "E-Everyone may I have your att-tt-tt-tention?" it stuttered again. The Ice Queen's eye brows perked up as she walked over to the helpless little peppermint. She held him in the air.

"Quiet!" she yelled, holding him up so that everyone could see and hear him.

"Th-thank you, milady" he said.

"All…All of us have fears" he started weakly, his body shaking. "We are scared of snakes or spiders or the dark. Some of us are afraid of heights" he said, looking down to the ground under where the Ice Queen was holding him. He gulped. "We here are all scared of one thing, all of us share one thing that we do not want near us. Vampires." he said.

A few yelled that they 'weren't afraid of no vampires' but Peppermint only shook his head.

"We are all afraid of whats beyond that door." he said, pointing to the hall to the infirmary. "We do not understand vampires and therefor we fear them. We think they'll eat our children or put curses on us." he said. "However I no longer fear what is behind that door. I barred our dear princess from it, because I thought it in her well being not to associate with such riff raff. Now though, I see the fault in my own actions. That vampire saved our princess, not just from the Night-O-Sphere. She was there as a guiding hand when our princess needed it most. When we ourselves could not save her. How many times has she helped us? Helped with keeping your businesses together, formed alliances that kept us from war, sent our heroes out on great adventures that in turn made us a glorious kingdom? Think of everything our princess has done for us. Now think of what we have done for her"

Every member of the council stared down at the ground now. Every member of the audience only let out sighs as their heads sank down. Every one in the room filled with guilt.

"I myself feel most to blame. We locked her away, chained her to her duties. Just this once I propose that maybe we do the not so normal thing. Maybe we loosen up just once. Just once we give the princess what she desires and we save the queen" he said.

Everyone felt right in their heart guts that they knew just what had to happen. One man raised his fist and shouted.

"I still say that we kill the blood sucker before she kills us!"

Everyone save a few joined with a simultaneous "Yeah!" as they all began planning what to do.

"This is what we'll do then!" General Tart called to the rabble. "We will take her body out to the court tonight. We will tie her up, and wait until sunrise. Then we will watch the vampire burn!"

Everyone cheered as quickly Ice Queen held on to peppermint tightly and flew back quickly in to the halls. She ran as quick as she could back to the infirmary.

"Oh I fear for the lady, I do" Peppermint said, walking hurriedly to Marceline's bedside.

"I fear for everyone if this vampire is slain" she said, not even thinking of her own interest in keeping Marceline around.

"Why do you say that milady?" he asked quietly.

"Think of the most powerful demon in all of Ooo. The man who controls the Night-O-Sphere" she said. Peppermint nodded worriedly.

"Now think of what will happen when he finds out that his daughter has been killed. Imagine what will happen when there is nothing to hold back his rage."

Peppermint thought for only a moment, a phrase coming to mind.

"A un-win-able war"

To Be Continued.


	10. Scream

N : Awh man this is an emotional one. You know those moments in TV shows where you know the hero is going to make it out but you have no flobbing idea how? Yeah. I always wanted to do those. So here it is mang! Chapter 9. Leave comments in the ask-a-ma-jig and let me know how I'm doing!

It was like thunder, surging through the clouds. Only this sound did not echo through the heavens, it echoed through the halls. This pounding had no rhythm nor flow, it just made it's way through the ears of the residents.

The guts of this room were filled with silent voices of woe. While this horrid knocking smashed through their insomnia filled brains, they just sat and stared. It felt as though this were the end of their lives. Peppermint Butler, a couple of nurses, a cook, a maid or two. Around two dozen of Bubblegum's most loyal servants sat in huddled masses watching as the door shook.

Outside, a large mob of nearly a hundred candy people were using an old fallen tree as a battering ram. They tried and tried to bust down the door of the infirmary but their arms were weak. General Tart called for them to stop, evaluating the plans in his head. What could they do?

Peppermint Butler's small eyes glanced over worriedly at the princess. Her pink skin was the palest it had ever been. Her mind just fumbled with thoughts. She had torn apart her kingdom and nearly killed her friend. She glanced over to the incapacitated vampire that was laying in bed. She wouldn't let them take her, yet she couldn't fight against them.

"I can fix her!" Ice Queen shouted suddenly. "I can fix her!"

Bubblegum turned to see the Ice Queen waving around a book, a large smile on her face.

"I'm gonna save the vampire queen! I'm gonna save the vampire queen!" she seemed to sing in a taunting way.

"This is no time for singing or dancing. How do you intend to save Marceline?" Bubblegum asked, her voice was scratchy.

Ice Queen opened her mouth but before she could make a single sound, a large creak was heard. The door slowly opened, the groundskeeper holding the ring of keys in his hands. The mob was ready to charge in, like beasts being released from a cage. General Tart walked forwards, his mustache bounced as he cleared his throat.

"We will be taking the vampire queen, and burning her at the stake" he announced, his tone making it as though murder was just a hobby for him. The crowd behind him cheering.

Bubblegum cleared her own throat and stood up slowly. She was wearing the t-shirt Marceline had given her and a pair of her pajama bottoms. If you had seen her this way, you would have never guessed she was a princess.

"If we kill this vampire, a war will begin between our world and the Night-O-Sphere. One that we can not handle, for the sake of the people, I do not wish for that to happen." she explained, holding back her personal pains.

The mob staring in let out a simultaneous gasp, little chats could be heard, questioning if this was true.

"What do you propose we do with that creature then?" General Tart asked nervously. He had no intention of letting everyone know just how blood thirsty he could be, they would lose trust in him.

"Marceline will be sent away to live with the Ice Queen in Aaa. We will never" Bubblegum paused, her throat nearly closing. A small, choked whimper could be heard as she looked over to the vampire. "We will never have to hear from her again" she said.

Bubblegum did everything she could to hold back the tears as suddenly she could feel it happening again. She could hear herself yelling at Marceline, she could feel herself hating her, she could remember herself telling her to leave. She also wished to feel the patchwork of Jam under her fingers, she wished to be pressed against her love in a dance again, she wished to feel the burning sensation of a passionate kiss. She needed Marceline. She…she loved her! Immediately, her knees gave out and in a moment of slowed reality, she fell to the floor. Peppermint and one of the nurses ran over but she shook her head and they backed away.

"Ice Queen" she said. "If you would be as so kind to take Marceline with you" she said. "Now" she spat out.

The mob watched in silence, staring in to the darkness of the room. General Tart's eyebrows raised as he felt something he had never felt before. Compassion.

"Princess…" Ice Queen said, walking toward the girl who was still on her knees.

"I said take her!" Bubblegum screamed, her vocal chords shredded.

Ice Queen looked down and quietly obeyed. She cradled the vampire carefully in her arms and made her way towards the infirmary doors.

"I suppose…this is a just solution" General Tart said softly, staring at the ground.

"Do you see what you've done now?" Peppermint yelled. "You have caused chaos with your madness!" he yelled to the mob. He looked over to the princess. "We can still win" he said softly.

"It's okay Peppermint" she said. "It's over"

Bubblegum closed her eyes for a moment, almost unable to watch the events before her. She then took a breath and leaned back to sit on the floor as she stare up at Ice Queen. The blue skin woman made her way over to the door. Finn and Jake were at the front of the crowd of candy people. Finn bowed his head and removed his hat. He was the model for the sea that parted, allowing the Ice Queen to walk through. Some of them bowed, some removed hats, but all paid respects. As the Ice Queen made her way through the crowd, everyone was at a loss for the words they wished to say. Their fears and ideas kept themselves from just admitting one little thing. 'Maybe we were wrong'

The Ice Queen made her way out of the castle and began floating, staring down at the poor immortal queen in her arms. She could save Marceline, that was true, but none of this would be easy to explain when she was conscious.

"Hey, PB. We're sorry…We didn't know man" Finn said as he walked over slowly, a frown on his face.

"Just leave me be" Bubblegum said.

"But we could go-"

"I said leave me be!" she yelled.

The boy and his dog backed away, as did all others. The mob slowly and silently dispersed, making their way back to their homes or jobs. Everyone made a funeral procession style march, as Bubblegum sat alone.

One thing could be heard in this huddled mass of silence. Just one thing. A scream. The release of a heart's pain. The sound that allowed a tragedy to be told, in just one moment. Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum, in that moment, at the very top of her lungs, dropped everything she had been taught about being a perfect lady.

Paralyzed by her emotions, Bonnibel stayed on the floor, curled in a ball. Her tears flowed gently as her mind told her that everything would be alright.

But she knew it wouldn't. Not without Marceline.

To be continued.


	11. Smile

"What in glob's name is that thing?"

"Desmodus rotundus"

"What did you say to me?"

"Desmodus rotundus, daddy, it's a common vampire bat"

"There is nothing common about that ugly little creature!"

"Daddy! It's hurt and I'm taking care of it"

"You! You put that thing outside right now, young lady!"

"Mark, calm your temper" Bubblegum's mother said softly.

"Yeah, daddy calm your temper!"

"Now, Bonnibel, a princess does not talk back to her father"

"Yes mother" Bubblegum looked down, touched a bit by guilt. She stroked the soft belly of the bat in her hands. It had been hissing at her father but now it clung to the princess, occasionally making a happy little sound.

"Now what is this little ball of fur you have in your hands?" the queen asked softly. The king folded his arms and turned his head, grumbling.

"It's a vampire bat, it hurt it's wing so I brought it inside" the little princess said. She was now cradling the vampire bat lovingly, stroking it's head.

"What will you call our little visitor?"

"Marceline" the princess answered.

"You-!" The king was ready to throw a fit but the queen raised her hand, and he silenced.

"Is she named after your friend?"

"My best friend" the princess corrected.

"Well Marceline shall stay as our honored guest until her wing is healed" the queen said, stroking the bat's head. At first the bat seemed confused, but soon it accepted this and made a small squeak. "Peppermint" the queen called.

"Y-yes your majesty?" the peppermint butler ran to the side of the queen and stood up straight.

"Please see to it that some fresh strawberries are brought to my daughter's chambers for our new guest, as well as anything else the princess thinks she might need"

"Comic books"

"The bat...reads?" the peppermint looked confused.

"Everyone needs a bed time story, peppermint" Bubblegum explained. Peppermint gazed confused to the queen, who nodded.

"Indeed they do, princess"

-

A tray sat beside Bubblegum's bed. It held a pile of assorted comic books and a small bowl of strawberries. The bat sat under the covers, tucked in, holding on to a strawberry as Bubblegum read to her.

"Ka-pow! Boom! Justice was served again thanks to Batman and Robin!" the princess said happily. She looked down at her little flying friend, who seemed to be enjoying her strawberry. "I think some of these are just violent brain goo, but I thought you would like them. They have a lot of pictures" the princess said, showing the bat the book. "See that's you" she said, pointing to Batman. "You're the tall, dark, caped crusader here to save me!" she said. The bat stared up at her. "I know it all looks perfect, y'know I have toys, and butlers and I'm the princess" she stared down at the book in her lap. "But I just want a friend" she said. The bat nuzzled it's furry little head against the princess.

"Marceline"

Squeak.

"I got you something"

The princess leaned down, grabbing something from under her bed and sitting back up.

"Mother says that queens wear crowns...and you're supposed to be the vampire queen, but you don't wear a crown" she whispered, making sure that no eavesdroppers would try to listen in. "So I made you one"

There it was, a ring of woven together pieces of black licorice. At the very front was a shiny piece of gold in the shape of a strawberry.

"You can eat the licorice if you want, but keep the strawberry always!" the princess waved her finger at the bat as she handed the creature the crown. "It's a token of our best friendship so I never expect to see you without it"

The bat held on to the licorice and stared in to the piece of gold.

Token...of...friendship. She'd never been given one of those before. The bat stared up at the smiling little girl. For just one moment, for just one second.

She thought she felt her heart beat.

-

"See! There! Again! I totally swear she really smiled!"

"Fionna! Keep quiet while I mix these!"

"But she smiled! I think she's having a dream or something!"

"Fionna we don't even know if she's still alive, your mind is playing tricks on you"

"But she really did!"

"Fionna...Bunny"

"I told you, don't call me Bunny"

"Fifi"

"...fine"

"Bunny, why don't you take a rest? You've been helping me for long enough, dear. Why don't you see if Gumball has gotten any news from Marshall?"

"I got your news right here" Marshall said, floating in to the room. "Now what did you do to my sister?"

To be continued.


	12. Kings and Queens

A/N : OH HEY! Yeah. We'll be getting back to the actual sugarless gum action real soon. So Stay Tuned!

Enjoy!

Staircases. They went across the walls, the hung down from the ceilings. They made their way under arches and through tunnels. They spiraled, they rose, and they fell. It was endless. It was unforgiving. This was the landscape of Bubblegum's mind.

An entire year had passed. An entire year of Bubblegum being stronger than anyone could have possibly imagined. She stayed strong for her people, she carried on her duties. Ever since that fateful night, she had not let out a single cry in front of anyone. Though of course, Peppermint did hear the occasional cry through the walls of her bedroom at night. He knew she wasn't well, yet still, she pushed on. She kept up treaties, she passed laws, she made powerful alliances. One could say that the kingdom had never been better.

"Mi'lady" Peppermint bowed. "Supper will be ready at exactly 6 o'clock. Lady Rainicorn, Sir Finn, Sir Jake, and the Princess of Lumpy Space will be joining us."

Bubblegum nodded. "Thank you peppermint, I'll be taking a stroll in my garden until then."

—-

Bubblegum often enjoyed getting lost in the scent of flowers and trees. Some of them were the result of her own mad science. She smiled as she enjoyed the scent. This was the one place in the world where she felt at peace. In that long year, she dared not to enter her library. She didn't want to be plagued by the lingering ghosts of her first kiss. She took a deep breath and stared off in to the distance.

"I'll always be waiting, with the windows open"

The horizon made no attempt to respond to her promise. She was alone, just as she always had been. Just as she felt stirring inside her for this whole year. I'm not going to cry tonight. Ice Queen said she could save her. I'm sure they're taking great care of each other…she reassured herself. She went back inside, ready to enjoy her evening. Still waiting, yet still strong.

—-

"Tell it Uncle Finn!"

"Yes once more! Once more!"

"Haha! Okay! Once there was this big mean troll dude that was all beating up people and junk! And we were like no dude! Come on, stop! And he wouldn't stop so we ended up getting in this fight with him, like a crazy brawl!" Finn told this story for exactly the 52nd time in the children's lives. Queen Bonnibel Bubblegum watched from the crack in the door, smiling. She then pushed it open right at the end of his tale.

"Yeah, turns out trolls just really like peanut butter!" he finished, turned to smile at the queen. "Woah is that hot cocoa?" he exclaimed, jumping up to grab a mug.

"Yes, Finn. Peppermint Butler made it specifically for you and the children" she said, leaning down to let the kids take their mugs.

"Woah! I'll have to thank him later!" he said. He then noticed something a little off in Bubblegum's smile.

"You okay Peebs?" he asked.

"Yes…It's just" she said. "I promised."

Finn patted for her to sit next to him and she did. "What did you promise?" he asked. "I'm an expert on keeping promises! So I can totally, y'know, help or whatever" he said. The boy had never lost that enthusiastic smile. Not in these long years.

"It's been five years Finn" she said. "Not a single word from either of them"

"Oh…oh" Finn looked down, the children looked up curiously. While there were certain songs they had heard 52 times or 47 times or a gajillion and one times. There was a specific story they had not heard, not even once.

"Five years since what, Mommy?" the little boy asked.

Bubblegum looked down at their faces, then over to Finn's. His smile was gone, his blue eyes stared heartbroken in to the ground.

"When I was a little girl…" the story started again. This one was not a story like Finn and Jake's adventures. This was a story of passion and bravery. A story where friends found each other after such a long time, a story of forgiveness. The kids stared in awe as Bubblegum told the story of Marceline, of how she was saved from the Night-O-Sphere. She told them about one of the greatest heroes in all of Ooo! Of her runs with whywolves, of her fight against the Lich, of everything the hero told her. She looked over to Finn, who now had the same excited look on his face as the children.

"It's been five years since I've seen the one of the greatest heroes in all of Ooo, or her friend the Ice Queen" she said. "Some say the hero died, some say she lives and roams Ooo, beating people to a pulp" she said. Finn reached out his hand and rested it on Bubblegum's shoulder. He then smiled.

"You know that's a great story and all Peebs, but you made a mistake" he said, his smile never leaving.

"Wha?" she wasn't able to complete the word. Her mind scanned for possible faults or mistakes, yet found none.

"She was the greatest hero in all of Ooo" he said. It was not often that Finn liked to lose, or be put second. But in the case of Marceline the vampire queen, he would make an exception. Bubblegum smiled as suddenly the door to the small room had been pushed open with great force.

"Who was the greatest hero in all of Ooo?" a booming voice said. The children got up, jumping up to grab on to the large man who just walked in. He had layers and layers of muscle, he was a strange tan color, made of caramel. He had a scraggly dark brown beard and short hair to match. He looked as though he were a strong adventurer. Though, the crown on his head said that he was royalty.

"Daddy! Daddy!" the little boy said. "You're done with work for the day, right daddy?" the little girl said. Both of the children looked a lot like their father. Only the boy was made of marshmallow and the girl was made of gummi-material, colored pink. They were both absolutely adorable children.

"Yes!" he said happily, laughing as the girl climbed in to his arms, putting her arms around his neck. The boy wrapped around his leg. "Now tell me, were we talking about Uncle Finn's adventures again?" he asked.

"Yes…well…no!" the boy said. "We were!" the girl said. "But then mommy told us all about Marceline the vampire queen!" she finished. Her eyes stared hopeful up at her father, not realizing what she had just done. The man sat the girl down, his smile fading to a straight face.

"Finn" he said. "Would you kindly escort the children to bed?" he asked. The children let out several cries of disapproval as Finn looked to Bubblegum. She nodded, a worried expression on her face. Finn sighed and did as he was told, taking the children towards their quarters. The king shut the door behind them.

"What have I told you about filling their heads with such nonsense?" he asked, turning back to face Bubblegum.

"Marceline was real, it's not nonsense" she said "And they enjoyed hearing about her"

"You will not fill my childrens' heads with tales of that blood sucking demon!" he screamed.

"Don't you call her that!" she stood up, her cheeks red as roses. "Don't you ever dare call her that!" she screamed at him, her voice almost as loud as his.

"I'll call that whore whatever I want!" he yelled.

Right then, if Bubblegum had any cool left in her, she lost it. She brought her hand back and smacked him across the face with all her might. He then laughed. He grabbed her wrist, holding it tightly.

"Do you have any idea what I left for you?" he asked. "I came to this kingdom, leaving my beautiful wife, bringing my lovely children, so that you could have a king!" he yelled. "Yet now, will you tell me that you love some demon more than you love me?" he asked, his face right in front of hers. "You will lay a hand on me? Your love, your husband, your king!"

"Stop" she said quietly, shaking with fear.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you, Bonni"

That name, he wasn't allowed to use that name. Stupid barbarian.

"I said stop!" she screamed. He let out another booming laugh. He let go of her wrist, and grabbed her shoulders. Her body was slammed back against the wall, feeling as though she had just fallen ten feet to the ground. She let out a small whimper, yet still stared at him with such rage, such anger.

"Tell me that you love me" he said, leaning down to kiss her, her pink hair awry with strands in every direction.

"Never" she spat directly in his face. He picked one hand up, wiping his eye.

"That's a mistake, wife of mine" he said. He pulled his arm back, ready to give her the black eye of a life time. When suddenly his arm was grabbed. He was almost startled, Bubblegum wasn't quite tall enough to see over his shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that dude" a voice said.

"Who are you to tell a king what to do?" he asked

"Well…I'm a king" the voice replied

"Well let me go, king!" he mocked. The hands felt weak, and yet they were able to hold him back effortlessly.

"Say the magic word" the voice teased.

"Let me go!"

"That's not the magic word" the voice responded.

The king turned to face his adversary. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Marshall. Marshall Lee, the vampire king" he said. "I'm here to take the little princess back home" he said with a smile. "If you don't mind"

To be continued.


	13. Two Words

Marshall Lee and Bubblegum had made their very long journey to Aaa. Bubblegum had reluctantly followed the Vampire King and left the council to rule her kingdom in her abscence. As they cleared the border between the two lands, Bubblegum felt a surge of doubt. That maybe she shouldn't have come here to find out exactly what happened to Marceline. Marshall had yet to tell her anything about her vampire queen, and her mind had begun to assume the worst.

"So why did you marry that jerk fact again?" Marshall asked, floating beside the princess, hands in his pockets.

"I..." Bubblegum paused as Marshall opened his mouth again.

"I just don't like seeing my sister hurt, y'know? 'Cause hearing that you married some butt really banged her up bad" Marshall explained.

"Marceline...was hurt?"

"Well yeah. You look after someone since they were a child and then y'know you start to fall in love with them or some junk and you sort of get expectations" Marshall said.

"In l-l-ove?" Bubblegum's face was pale. Did Marshall just casually tell her that Marceline was in love with her?

"Duh" Marshall said. "She told us all about your dates and stuff, you guys were like a couple or something then you threw her aside like you didn't even care"

Bubblegum's face was now a dark shade of red, her fists clenched. The princess reached over and grabbed Marshall's flanel and pulled him down to eye level with her.

"I didn't throw Marceline aside! I would never! Suitors had come every single day for months! I sent so many of them home, disappointed. But I knew I wouldn't be happy with any of them. I knew that I wouldn't be happy without Marceline, I sat alone in my room for months and months waiting but none of you even thought to stop by and tell me anything! Just two words would have sufficed. She's alive! That's all I've wanted to hear for 5 years! 5 years all I wanted to know was that Marceline was alive. I waited and I waited. For two words" Bubblegum still gripped Marshall's shirt as tears rolled down her face.

"I believe you princess" Marshall said, putting a hand on the princess's hand which somehow got him pulled in to a hug. "And I'm sorry we didn't say anything it's just...we didn't know how to tell you"

"Tell me what?" Bubblegum's tear filled eyes looked up to him now.

"You'll have to ask the Ice Queen about this one" Marshall said.

"Take me to her at once" Bubblegum said and Marshall nodded. Carefully he picked the princess up and off they were. Bubblegum still hoped, after all this time, to hear those two words. She's alive. Bubblegum repeated in her head. Please. She begged. She wasn't sure who she was begging or asking. She just knew that back home, there was a pile of paperwork for her, a group of citizens to have an audience with, and now a king in a dungeon. There was a lot to do, her mind filling with all the things she must deal with.

But a thought struck her. Maybe just maybe, if she were to look up from her desk, and see a long flow of black hair coming in from a rainy day. If she were to see Peppermint Butler being playfully poked at by a vampire bat. If she were to fall asleep to the sound of 'goodnight Bonnibel' being whispered through black lips and white fangs. Maybe that would make it easier.

As Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum grew up, she lost hope for her parents to come home. She grew to understand science and logic a lot more than adventure and magic. She grew up and became a young lady of manners and ettiquet.

But all this growing up never changed one fact. She'd always believe in her imaginary friend.

-

"Here we are. Ice Queen's Palace. Please keep your arms and legs attached to the vampire king until we make a complete stop" Marshall said as he gently sat the princess down. The princess smiled at him and gave him a light peck on the cheek.

"Thank you" the princess said, bowing her head.

"Sure" Marshall shrugged and gestured for her to go on. "I'll catch you later, I'm gonna mess with some of Ice Queen's magic kung fu weapons" Marshall said with a smile.

"Of course" Bubblegum chuckled. The princess then turned to face the halls that filled this palace. Where would she find her answers? She could only guess. She took a deep breath and began to walk. She stared in to different rooms, down different hall ways. She had yet to find the Ice Queen. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear Marshall wacking things with magical nunchucks and she shook her head.

"Hello?" she called. "Hello?" again. Yet no one answered. The princess reached the end of the hallway and so found a closed door. It had a large M carved in to it. Marceline! Bubblegum hadn't even knocked, she just pushed the door open to find - no one. The princess sighed again. Yet still she found some odd comfort here. The room was made of ice like the others. Yet there was a large bed with black blankets neatly tucked on it. There was a dresser, a desk, and some other assorted furniture. The princess walked to the desk where there was paper everywhere. She picked up a crumbled ball and on it were the words "Dear Bonnibel." She felt her heart skip a beat. The princess picked up a few more and all of them, the same words. Dear Bonnibel.

"So you have been thinking of me" Bubblegum said softly.

"She always has" a voice said behind her.

The princess gasped and dropped the paper, she spun quickly to see Ice Queen in the doorway with a tray.

"Marshall told me you had arrived, I didn't realize how quickly your curiosity would get the better of you" she said. The older monarch walked inside and sat the tray on the night stand.

"Cocoa?" the queen asked.

"Yes, please" the princess said, not forgetting her manners. She walked over and took a cup from the queen and sat next to her on the bed.

"So queen of the Candy Kingdom of Aaa in my castle, who would have guessed?"

"I don't believe I'm queen anymore" The princess said.

"Oh yes, you left your hubby...does that mean he's available?" Ice Queen asked.

"Uh-" Bonnibel was not quite sure how to react.

"Relax, darling, it was a joke. You are still queen, technically" Ice Queen pointed out, sipping from her mug.

"I did not come here to discuss my political position" Bonnibel said.

"Oh! Yes, the vampire queen. I'm afraid I have to delay your explanation until she returns home, dear. Though I do have a story I'd like to share with you" Ice Queen said.

"Returns home?" Bonnibel nearly dropped her mug in excitement. "So she's alive?"

"More-so than ever" Ice Queen shrugged. "Sorry for the lack of communication...the past few years have not been easy and Marceline has wished to remain a secret for the time being"

"Why?" Bonnibel stared confused. "Did she not wish to see me?"

"You saw the letters dear. She tried everything. The poor girl is just not one for words. She wanted to see you...she just couldn't"

"But why?" Bonnibel asked.

"You'll see soon enough" Ice Queen said and sipped her drink.

"Right...You said you had a story to tell me?"

"Yes. This story takes place before you were born, when Marceline and I were slightly less ancient" Ice Queen began.

"Marceline and I had been friends for a few decades. Marceline could come visit once a year on my birthday and I would visit her on hers, when I could find her, that is. Your vampire can be rather hard to find, you know" Ice Queen said and Bubblegum nodded in agreement.

"Now one year I had gone to find the vampire queen on her birthday and realized something very strange had happened in Ooo. A kingdom seemed to have just popped out of the ground over night..." Ice Queen said. "Your kingdom, to be exact. At the time of course it belonged to your mother and father" Ice Queen took a deep breath, and so the story continued.

This is where your humble narrator gets to jump in.

Mark and Elizabeth were young monarchs in a new kingdom. The citizens were nonetheless happy with their rulers. They had been having audiences one afternoon when a strange blue-skinned woman walked in. This is of course our friend, Ice Queen. But, they don't know that yet. The blue-skinned woman bowed her head in front of the pair.

"Hello, I am queen of Aaa's Ice Kingdom" the woman smiled.

"I am Queen Elizabeth and this is King Mark" the queen of the candy kingdom said. The Ice Queen was holding a bag which seemed to twist and jolt about.

"Oh! Yes. I almost forgot" The Ice Queen opened the strange sack and a strange, ugly little bat flew out.

"This is" The Ice Queen began but before she finished, the bat began deforming. Soon it was a girl, tall, she stretched her arms.

"Sup? I'm Marceline the vampire queen" the girl said with a smile. The strange pair stood before the king and queen. The King's face turned to a scowl.

"What business do a witch and a vampire have in my kingdom?" he asked.

"We only wanted to greet our new neighbors, is there a problem with that?" Marceline asked.

"No" Elizabeth said. "In fact, I would be delighted if you both would join us for dinner this evening" the queen said.

The immortals looked at each other and then back to the king and queen.

"Sure" the said simultaneously.

-

"Wait, so you knew my parents when they were young?"

"Yes, dear. We were there when you were born. Mark couldn't stand the sight of it and your mother nearly broke my hand in pain" The Ice Queen smiled. "I miss them"

"I do too..." Bubblegum sighed as a moment of silence pursued them.

"Marceline and I ended up staying that entire night in the castle. Your mother quickly became one of my closest friends. When the sun came up, Elizabeth gave Marceline a sunhat, with the most beautiful ribbon"

"She still...she still wears it" Bubblegum said.

"You and I aren't the only ones who miss your mother, you know"

"Why was my father never kind to you?" Bubblegum asked, quickly. She was so worried to ask, but curiosity drove her to spit it out.

"Mark was...difficult when it came to us, as most candy people are. He just didn't understand..." Ice Queen shook her head.

"I'm...I'm sorry" Bubblegum said.

"Anyway" The Ice Queen coughed. "Marceline and I were asked of something very dear to your mother's heart. Something your father was never to know about."

"What was it?"

"To keep you safe"

"From what?"

"Oh, anything really. Monarchs can be in constant danger. But I think what she most wanted was for someone to not only look after you but"

"Marceline was my best friend. Marceline came to see me every week. She obeyed my mother's wishes...and I threw her...away. I said something nasty to her and she didn't come back until she was hunting that witch..."

"Yes. Our vampire has a thing for grudges, though she was easy to lure back. All I needed was Hambo"

"You...You brought Marceline back to me?"

"Yes, dear. A little make-up, a cloak and bam you're a witch"

"Thank you, so much" Bubblegum leaned over, sitting the tea down. She then turned to hug on to the Ice Queen with all her might.

"Bonnibel?" a voice said from behind her.

"Marceline?" Bubblegum broke from her hug and turned again. "Is that...you?"

"Yeah"

"You're...You're..."

"...Yeah"


	14. Great ThingsThe End

Thanks to everyone that read this and left comments. It really means a lot. Ending this is actually pretty heart breaking. Please leave more comments and such, I love hearing from readers! And stick around for my new Sugarless Gum fic called Diaries.

* * *

"Marceline" was all that Bubblegum had managed to say. Fionna, the now slightly older human followed Marceline in the room. Fionna had a large smile on her face.

"We got groceries! We got enough marshmellows to build a whole fort!" Fionna said. She then turned her attention to the pink girl sitting on the bed. "Oh- Oh woah! Bubblegum! I haven't seen you in ages."

"Yes it has been quite some time, hasn't it?" Bubblegum said, still staring at Marceline.

"Bunny, why don't you come with me?" Ice Queen said, standing and taking the mugs. She grabbed Fionna's hand with her free one and led the human outside.

"You girls can come out for marshmellows when you're done...catching up" Ice Queen said and Fionna shut the door behind them.

"Marceline" Bubblegum said again. "You're alive"

Marceline's movement was swift and before she could resist, Bubblegum was laying on the bed, the older monarch positioned on top of her.

"Bonni"

"Marcy"

"You're all grown up now" the older girl said, staring closely at Bonnibel's face.

"You're...different than I remember" Bubblegum said, reaching a hand up to brush Marceline's cheeks lightly.

"You don't say" Marceline said.

"You still have pointed ears" Bubblegum said, brushing strands of black hair back. "Your teeth are still sharp but they aren't fangs" Bubblegum said, tracing her thumb across Marceline's lip. "Your skin is a whole new color"

"You done observing me now?" Marceline asked.

"Marceline, what are you?"

"That's a polite question, Bonni"

"It's a just one!"

"Well" Marceline started. She grabbed Bonnibel's hand and placed it over her chest.

Thud. Thud thud. Thud.

"Marceline, it's beating!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed"

"Are you? I mean...Are you a..."

"Mhm"

"You're human"

* * *

"Yeah okay but what's wrong with her? I mean is she...y'know gonna be dead?" Marshall Lee asked.

"Marshall, she was already dead. This is just more permanent."

"Whatever! Fix her"

"I'm doing the best I can. As soon as Fionna arrives, we'll have what we need"

"She better get here soon or I'm gonna-"

"If you touch a single hair on Bunny's head, I will scalp you and let Gertrude devour your brain muck, understand?"

"Yes ma'am" Marshall said, putting his hands up defensively.

"I'm here!" Fionna said from behind them, out of breath. "Cake didn't want me to come but I did anyway, is she doing any better?"

"Fionna I have to ask you for something" Ice Queen said.

"Okay...what is it?"

"I need a strand of your hair" Ice Queen said. Fionna shrugged and yanked a strand of hair out, handing it to the monarch.

"I need something...else"

"Okay, what else?"

"Your blood"

* * *

"Her blood?"

"Yeah, they showed me the bucket they used later, it was gruesome crud" Marceline said.

"She seems alright now"

"When I woke up, the poor kid was white as snow and barely breathing. Cake was pissed"

"Why did they need so much?"

"The sword that Finn used was made from Blood Sap. Blood Sap trees were pretty common in the Night-O-Sphere. We used the sap to turn people in to immortal demons."

"Then why did it harm you?"

"If you use it on someone who is already immortal, it has some weird effect where it drains their immortality. By the time Ice Queen got me here, I was already mortal and I was dying fast. She completely recoded my DNA and used the blood and some magic to get my body going"

"She knew how to recode your DNA?"

"No, but your mother did"

"My...My mother?"

Marceline rolled off of Bubblegum and laid by her side. She intertwined her fingers with Bonnibel's.

"Yeah. She left behind a lot of stuff in her library. She had a book she wrote herself on immortals and Ice Queen found it. She learned how to turn me human and save me"

"Well then lets get more sap! We can make you an immortal again!"

"No, we can't"

"But why?"

"Just can't. It's some weird rule or something."

"Marceline"

"What?"

"Do you want to go for a picnic?"

"That's not out of the blue or anything"

"Ever since I was a little girl, there was a lot I wanted to show you that I couldn't. I can show them to you now"

"Bonni"

"Hm?"

"Do you love me more this way? Since you can drag me in to the sun and stuff..."

"Marceline I couldn't love you more than I already did"

"Oh...a-alright"

* * *

It was a lot different, being around Marceline the Human. To see her in the sunlight, to walk with her hand in hand. Her smile was a little less empty without two pearly white fangs. But she was still Marceline. She still played pranks, she still loved the rain. She still ate strawberries every day. Sometimes, she was still hard to find. Her and Fionna would often disappear for the afternoon, climbing off in some cave with Cake. Bonnibel stayed an entire month in Aaa with them and soon realized how much she enjoyed it. She stared out across the land of ice. Down below Marceline, Cake, Gumball and Marshall Lee were having a snowball fight. This was the 30th one of this month, Gertrude was carving the score in to the ice. Marceline had won 6 times, Fionna had won 7 times, Gumball had won 3, and Marshall and his no good cheating invisibility had won 14 times.

"Are you watching the children, dear? Make sure they don't run off too far" Ice Queen said, giggling.

"Oh I'll be sure they're in before dinner" Bubblegum began to giggle as well. "Are we eating penguin again?"

"That's not funny!" yet still both of them erupted in laughter.

"I haven't thanked you for your hospitality" Bubblegum said.

"No need, you and Marceline keep Fionna around a lot more" Ice Queen said standing next to Bonnibel and smiling down at the group below.

"You really love her don't you? What is it you call her...Bunny?"

"Shut up!" Ice Queen shouted as both of them began giggling again. "Marceline! show me who's queen!" Ice Queen mocked.

"You aren't supposed to listen to that!"

"How can I help it? You're the one being little miss scream queen!"

"Oh shut up!" both women now had tears in their eyes from laughter.

"It's been a pleasure to have you and your...lover" Ice Queen smiled.

"She'll be more than that soon enough"

"Oh?"

"Yes. I've decided to ask Marceline to marry me"

"Really? I always pictured her as the asker..." Ice Queen thought for a moment and then surged with a sudden thought. "You're going to get married! Oh dear! This is wonderful"

"Well...that's if she says yes"

"Darling, after all you two have been through, her saying anything but yes would be a crime"

"Marceline has been through...so much"

* * *

The first year was the hardest, of course. Not that it got much easier in the next 4, but they weren't quite as bad. Most of her nights were spent curled up in the corner of her room. She wasn't eating at first and she barely slept. She still hissed at the sun, and once she even tried to fly.

Dawn was coming, the sunlight was running to be on top of the mountains. The new human stood atop one of the tallest peaks of the Ice Queen's castle. She stared off in to the horizon, crimson eyes glaring in to the distance. She took a deep breath as her hand let go. Soon she was falling, faster than she had ever fallen. Her body only a rag doll in the wind. Fly! Come on! Become a bat! Something! She yelled at herself in her mind. Yet still nothing happened. She could feel it, any second now. Impact. When she stopped moving, she was scared to open her eyes. She instead imagined the broken, mangled mess on the ground. She could imagine someone having to clean her up. She felt no pain. She didn't try to move until she opened her eyes to see Ice Queen staring down at her. She had been caught in the arms of the other woman.

"Marceline" she said sternly.

"I-" Marceline didn't get to speak before Ice Queen sat her on her feet.

"You what?"

"Don't be mad at me"

"If you wanted to try to see if your powers still worked, you could have just tried to transform. You could have tried to read someone's mind. You could have just jumped off your god damn bed. While you're living here, you will not do something that stupid again"

"But I can do it"

"No, you can't Marceline, not anymore"

"I can! I know I can!"

"You spent a thousand years running. You ran from here to Ooo more times that I can imagine. Where's the great Marceline this time? Off in the Fire Kingdom? Off fighting trolls? Wrestling with pirates. You spent most of your time existing as only a story to the rest of the world. Well let me tell you something. This part is real. We have waited so long for you to just take a moment to sit down and spend some time with us, you did have all the time in the world after all. Elizabeth would be ashamed. And what about Bubblegum? Her great lover, jumping from the mountains to see if she could fly, who will she look up to now?"

"Shut up!" Marceline screamed. "You don't know what it's like!"

"To feel alone? To feel like you've got nothing left! I know exactly what that's like! Anyone who has ever been the way we are, to live forever. We all know what it's like to lose something, Marceline. Don't think you're so special"

Marceline's face was covered in tears as she stepped forward, she gave Ice Queen a mean slap on the face then nestled in to her. A large, warm hug.

"I'll never be the way I was"

"No, but you'll always be Marceline"

* * *

Proposal became marriage. Marriage became ruling side by side. The candy people had taken quite a liking to Marceline the Human Queen. The kingdom began growing, expanding. It was bigger and better than it had ever been before. Marceline still had trouble, being human. She couldn't hold her ax bass so well anymore. She couldn't fly, but her and Fionna and Finn still ran with wolves. There were still stories, floating all across the land. Marceline the Vampire Queen, the viscious, blood thirsty adventure fiend. Peppermint would often tell his children stories of Marceline, so would Finn. Ice Queen and her lovely wife Fionna would always drop by, once a year, on Marceline's birthday. Bubblegum and her lovely husband Marceline would stop by Aaa once a year, on Ice Queen's birthday. Of course there were a lot of other random days in between where they would see each other. Ice Queen thought it rather strangely wonderful to spend so much time in the Candy Kingdom again.

"She wants you to come in now" Fionna said, bowing her head.

"Thanks, Fi" Bubblegum said. She took a deep breath as she watched Fionna hug on to Ice Queen tightly. Ice Queen nodded and Bubblegum walked in to the room. There was a long stream of moonlight reaching through the window. The old record player sat by Marceline's bedside. A whole pile of vinyls sat in silence. Jam and Hambo were each one one side of Marceline in bed, tucked in.

"Bonni" Marceline said. Her hair was it's own long, flowing beam of light. It was silver under night's touch.

"Oh, Marceline" Bubblegum sighed. She sat on the side of Marceline's bed and held the human's hand.

"One thousand and eighty years and I'm still hotter than Flame Princess" Marceline laughed.

"You're gorgeous, Marceline"

"When you were a kid, you asked me if I would live longer than you and I laughed at you" Marceline said.

"Don't talk about it, please" Bubblegum said.

"Awh, come on Bonni. You were such a cute kid"

"Not that, dying. Don't talk about that"

"Alright, but remember that time, you asked about the stars?"

"My mother and father" Bonnibel's eyes began to water.

"If they're out there somewhere, I bet your dad has been yelling down from the sky since the day we got married. Bubblegum! Don't you touch that weird thing!"

"Remember when you pretended to be my pet bat?"

"I never would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for your rotten mother" Marceline laughed.

"My mother, was she as wonderful as I remember?"

"One of the greatest people I've had the pleasure to meet"

"I bet she would say the same about you"

"I doubt it. I was always giving her trouble" Marceline said as she began to cough.

"Rest your voice, and your strength"

"That won't help any, Bonni" Marceline said.

"Tell me about your adventures, Marceline. One last time. Please"

"Well, about 80 years ago. I was minding my own business and messing around at a party when I was introduced to a little pink brat"

"Marceline!"

"A pretty little pink brat" Marceline corrected herself and Bonnibel rolled her eyes.

"Anyway. That little pink brat turned out to be a princess or something, I don't really remember. Important part is, we ended up being friends. For a long time. We pulled pranks and I told her stories. Then she got a little older, and I took her on dates, and we kissed. Then she got a lot older, and we got married, and I got to mess around in her kingdom."

"All of the things that you did in a thousand years, and you choose to tell me a story I already know?"

"It was my biggest adventure" Marceline said. "I almost forgot, there's something on the nightstand. Would you read it outloud to me? Please?"

"Of course" Bonnibel said. She stood up and pulled a chair over next to the bed. She grabbed an envelope from the nightstand and opened it. A letter was inside.

"Read the whole thing" Marceline said and Bubblegum nodded.

"Dear Bonnibel" she said aloud and looked to Marceline who was staring at her with hopeful eyes.

"Dear Bonnibel,

Stop crying. Don't be a weenie, alright? If you're reading this then, well, then I'm sick again. I just wanted to put some words down to say...thanks. Thanks for always being around and waiting for me. 'Cause most people didn't or wouldn't. Besides, you were a pretty cool munchkin to hang around with.

I got to live a thousand years more than most humans do, and I met a load of people. I even killed a few. But I never met anyone else like you. In a way I was glad to get turned human. 'Cause I don't think I would have met anyone like you in the next thousand years either.

Just don't forget Bonni. Even when I'm not around. Jam and Hambo will look after you. Oh, Ice Queen, too.

Take care of yourself, alright? Don't go turning yourself weird colors or something with your science.

Love, Marceline the Jellyfish Queen"

"Oh Marceline" Bonnibel whispered.

"I love you, kiddo" Marceline whispered.

"I love you too, Marceline"

* * *

"I bet I'll live longer than you Marceline!" A young Bubblegum shouted.

"Nuh-uh! I'll live to be a million, at least" Marceline said.

"Then I'll live to be a million and one!" Bubblegum said.

"Will not!"

"Will too!"

"You really think so?" Marceline asked.

"Well, I don't really want to live longer than my best friend"

"Why not?"

"What am I gonna do without you?"

* * *

"What am I going to do without you?" Bubblegum whispered.

"Great things" Marceline whispered and just like that, her fingers lost their grip on Bonnibel's hand. Her body let out a short, breath and her eyes slowly closed.

"Marceline?" No answer. "Marceline please!"

"Your majesty is everything okay in there?" Peppermint Butler shouted through the door.

"She's gone! She can't be gone!" Bubblegum shouted, her voice cracking. She stood up and leaned over Marceline. She put both of her hand's on her love's face.

"Marceline come back! Please!" It felt like she was a child again, begging on her knees to some unknown source that Marceline would come back to her. It felt like she was asking her to stay the night instead of leaving. But this, this was much more painful.

"You can't leave me!" Bubblegum shouted. Ice Queen grabbed a hold of Bubblegum and pulled her back, holding on to her as she tried to wriggle around. She tried to run back to her love. She wanted to just hold her and stroke her hair and pretend for just another moment that she would wake up.

"Please!" she screamed one last time. Ice Queen still held her tightly as shadows began to collect. Doctors and nurses. Friends. Meanwhile, Bubblegum's face coated itself in tears.

* * *

"You're sort of icky, you know that?"

"What? Worms are cool!"

"Not to eat you weirdo!"

"Come on! Just try it" Young Marceline said, waving a worm in Bonnibel's face.

"No! It's gross! You're gross!"

"You picked having a gross best friend, then!"

"I picked the best best friend, even if she is gross" Bonnibel said.

"Yeah, you bet you did" Marceline said with a grin. Bonnibel rolled her eyes.

"Just don't ever leave okay?" Bonnibel growned.

"I'll always be here to bug you and eat your grub."

"Always?"

"Definitely, dude"

"You better be!"

* * *

And in that moment, lost in silence and buried in a memory.

Bonnibel thought 5 simple words, that meant more to her than anything.

She grew old with me.

**_The end._**


	15. Dear Marceline Epilogue

This should have been up here months ago and I never realized that it wasn't.

Dear Marceline,

It's been quite some time since you passed. Two months now, and I'm still here waiting for you to come home. The grand hall was filled with flowers, from all the neighboring kingdoms. Great bouquets from every where you've ever been. I suppose treasure did always have a way of finding you. Just as trouble did.

We lost Finn, about a month after we lost you. We buried him next to the tree house, next to Jake, just as he asked. He swore he would come find you and give you a mean ghost tickle, so I hope he kept to his word. Things have been quiet around here without my knights. Fionna is getting older as well, her and Ice Queen don't visit as much anymore. I have to tell you Marcy, it's empty here in the great hall. Sometimes I can still imagine you sitting in the king's throne, feet propped up, sleeping right through our meetings. Even if you didn't talk much, I miss you being there.

I haven't written, because it's been hard. It's been hard to find words to say. What do you say to someone who meant more to you than anything? You say that you love them, I suppose. I love you, Marceline. I always did. Since I was a little girl, even when I was afraid of you, I waited. Right by the same window. Tonight, I wait by that window.

I know it's silly, that you won't come flying in to take me on an adventure.

But even an old queen has to imagine. Besides, what would I do without my imaginary friend? Because even if I did great things, I never could have done half the things you were brave enough to do.

One day, we'll see each other again. Somehow. You'll be just as I remember, just as I imagined.

Love,

Bonni.

"It sure is a nice night, your majesty" Peppermint Junior said happily.

"Indeed it is" Bonnibel smiled.

"Your majesty, if I may ask a question"

"Of course"

"Was Marceline really as great as everyone says?"

"No"

"O-Oh"

"She was better"

With that the young Peppermint smiled and stared in to the sky. He and his sister and all of their friends had heard rumors of this place. They say that here, a swarm of jellyfish used to jump from behind the hills and flee in to the sky. They say that here, just as the whywolves cry in to midnight, you can see something off in the distance. Off in the night, three stars shine brighter than all the others. That's where they say she is, that's where they say she went to hide forever. That's where they say Marceline flew to.

Bubblegum knelt down and laid the letter on the grass in front of her. A tombstone there read 'Marceline'.

"Good night, Marcy" Bubblegum said.

And for a moment, just for a moment. She could swear that somewhere in the wind, a whisper drifted through her ear.

"Good night, Bonni"


End file.
